Catch A Falling Witch
by LEMONSKY4
Summary: Follow Bethany Cooper and the whole gang through her fifth year at Hogwarts. She'll have to deal with pranks, drama, Umbridge, and falling in love. Loosely follows Book 5.
1. Chapter 1: Bad News, A Flashback, and

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the OCs.  
*READ AUTHOR'S NOTE AT BOTTOM IF WONDERING WHY I REPOSTED THIS.* I will also explain some changes I have made.

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**_I value the friend who for me finds time on his calendar, but I cherish the friend who for me does not consult his calendar."  
-Robert Brault

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_Chapter 1: Bad News, A Flashback, and Something Unexpected_  
_

Bethany Cooper, a blue-eyed brunette Gryffindor was well-liked by everyone in her house. It didn't matter that she was in her fifth year. She would be shy at first, but once you got to know her, she was fun. She was known mostly for the fact that she was best friends with Hermione Granger. She was extremely loyal, and would be there for her friends no matter what. It also seemed like she lived by the saying, _"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me."_

She probably had to be like that, considering she had to deal with Ron and Hermione bickering like an old married couple and dealing with Harry…well, being Harry. It didn't help that her dad was close friends with Arthur Weasley during his Hogwarts days. Meaning, she spent her summers at the Burrow when her parents wanted to be alone, or got sick of her and her younger brother, David, breaking things from wrestling.

She was at the Burrow, without David, during the summer after her fourth year. The summer after Voldemort returned. It was after dinner, when Mad-Eye walked in with Kingsley and Tonks. Mad-Eye had hobbled over to Mrs. Weasley and whispered something to her that caused her to pale considerably. Bill and Charlie, the two eldest children of the Weasley brood, were both there visiting.

Bill, who went into 'I'm-the-oldest' mode asked, "What happened? What's going on?"

Mad-Eye shot a glance at Beth, and then nodded to Kingsley.

"Bethany," Kingsley said in his deep voice. She had a gut feeling that something was wrong. "The Dark Mark was found over your home. Death Eaters attacked and killed both your parents."

"I'm so sorry, Bethany," Tonks said quietly.

"Wait a minute," Beth finally said. Everyone looked at her with surprise. They weren't exactly expecting a _wait_.

"What about David?" she said.

Neither Tonks nor Kingsley said anything.

"WHAT ABOUT MY BABY BROTHER?! IS HE DEAD OR ALIVE?!" She screamed. Beth never raised her voice. Even when she was watching Quidditch matches.

Mad-Eye finally spoke, "He's alive, but in critical condition. He's at St. Mungo's."

Beth felt tears welling up in her eyes, and instead of collapsing onto the floor, crying her eyes out, she did something unexpected. She bolted straight out the door. As soon as the door slammed shut, the sound of rain could be heard throughout the now silent kitchen.

-x-

Not even caring that it was pouring rain, all the Weasley boys, minus Percy, went to look for her. The person who found her was none other than George. She was under a big oak tree, unknowingly shivering from the cold rain, and had an emotionless expression on her face. Without saying a word, George sat down next to her under the old tree. He didn't crack any lame jokes, he just sat there, letting Beth speak when she wanted to.

"I-I can't believe they're gone. Just yesterday I got my birthday present from them," her voice cracked as she pulled out a necklace that had a ring attached to it. The ring had a gold band accented with three rubies.

"It's the promise ring my dad gave to my mum after they got out of school," she explained to George, who still hadn't said a word.

Beth had a pensive look on her face.

"David could have d-died too," Beth said quietly.

"I could have been alone," she said in a small voice.

"George? I-I don't want to be alone," she muttered. Her eyes looked glassy, but she didn't cry.

George draped his arm over her shoulder and pulled her close, "Hey, who ever said you were going to be alone? You've got us Weasleys, and we're a force to be reckoned with. Besides, you're like family to us, and we Weasleys stick together," George said reassuringly.

"Come on; let's go back inside, mum will blow a gasket if everyone else returns but us. Then she would be yelling at me for allowing you stay out in this rain, and it would be my fault if you got sick. But you, you'll be lucky, you will probably get some of her homemade chicken noodle soup," George said as he helped her up.

Beth gave him a small smile, "Yeah, her chicken noodle soup is the best."

-x-

Unfortunately, George _did _get yelled at, and fortunately for him and Beth, she didn't get sick. Although, she _did _enjoy Mrs. Weasley's chicken noodle soup.

-x-

The funerals were held on the twenty-eighth of July, four days after Beth's birthday. David was released from St. Mungo's three days prior to the funerals.

-x-

After the funerals, Beth and George became close friends. George, being one of the most notorious pranksters ever seen at Hogwarts, and Beth who was bookish and quiet, seemed like the last people on earth that would become friends. But they did, proving all of the people that thought it was a joke, wrong.

***FLASHBACK***

Three days into the school year, Beth went to the kitchens late at night. She asked one of the house elves, politely, (she _was_ Hermione's best friend after all) for a cup of hot chocolate. She was sitting at a table, not really drinking it, and it was soon becoming cold. The portrait opened and George walked in.

"Hey Beth. I didn't know you knew where the kitchens were," George said.

"My dad told me about it when I was in my first year after I wrote in a letter saying sometimes I would be hungry late at night," she explained with a far away expression on her face. A lone tear slowly slid down her face.

George sat down across from her, showing real concern, "Are you okay, Beth?" he asked.

"Well, if not being able to sleep at night, stressing about OWLs, worrying about your younger brother who's in his first year here, would be under the category of _okay,_ then I guess I'm _peachy_," she said sarcastically, and thus began her rant.

"I swear to everything that's holy that if I see another person give me a sympathetic look as I walk down the hallways, I will blow a bloody _gasket_," she said bitterly. She looked up at George, and noticed the look of hurt on his face and immediately softened.

"I'm sorry, George. I didn't mean to snap like that…It just kinda all came out at once," she said as she absentmindedly traced the rim of her coffee cup.

"You know you can come to me at anytime if you need to talk, right?" said George.

"Yeah, I know," She sighed. "But you've been so busy with Fred perfecting all of your products for your joke shop...I don't want you to drop everything you're doing so then you can talk to me," she said as she stared down at the table.

"Bethany Cooper, listen to me," George said. He was suddenly right next to her, kneeling on the floor.

"You never have been or will be a burden to me," he looked straight into her eyes so she would know that he was telling the truth.

***END FLASHBACK***

Whenever Beth was sad, she went to George, and if George was having a rough patch with his inventions, he would go to her. She actually gave George a few pointers on the nosebleed nougats, since the blood kept turning out green instead of red. But if anyone asked her if that was true, she would deny it profusely.

George is basically a foot taller than her, and he sometimes to call her his '_midget_'. She would usually reply with something along the lines as '_I'm not a midget. You're just freakishly tall,_' and she would usually hit him on the arm. George knew Beth better than he knew anyone else, well besides Fred, of course. He could read her like an open book, and without even knowing, he had fallen for her.

-x-

Today at dinner, George instantly knew something was wrong. She was staring down at her plate, hardly eating. He knew that there would always be good and bad days, but she just looked down right _sad._ She looked up from her plate and saw George staring at her.

When she saw George staring at her, she quickly looked down at her plate again. She picked at her food a bit more. Then, without saying a word to anyone, she got up and left the table.

"What's wrong with Beth?" Harry asked.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out," George said as he left the table. He had noticed that she looked like she was on the verge of tears. Harry was soon following him out of the Great Hall, but the sight they saw once they walked into the Entrance Hall was totally unexpected.

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**A/N: Okay, so I reposted this story because when I was rereading the original, I realized how vague I left some things, and I felt that this story needed to be completely redone. So, I've combined some chapters together, to make them longer, and not as abrupt as they previously had been. I also changed the main OC's name from Kelly Bauer to Bethany Cooper because I'm just sick of that name. Hopefully you will enjoy this story now that it's going to be much, much better! **

**Let me know what you think!  
**

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	2. Chapter 2: Fighting, An Adrenaline Rush,

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for the OCs.

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**_"When angry count to four; when very angry, swear."  
-Mark Twain

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_Chapter 2: Fighting, An Adrenaline Rush, and Repulsive Looks

Beth hurriedly walked out the Great Hall, trying to prevent herself from crying in public. Today was absolutely dreadful for her. Everywhere she went, she was somehow reminded of her parents and the fact that she would never see them alive.

"Oh look, it's Cooper. Crying about your mummy and daddy?" Malfoy sneered, who was flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. "In my opinion, your parents got what they deserved," he continued on in a lofty manor.

That sent Beth over the edge; she was _seething. _

"You SLIMY BASTARD! You have no right to say that!" screamed Beth as she ran towards Malfoy, but was blocked by Crabbe and Goyle. She punched either Crabbe or Goyle, since who really cares to tell them apart, anyways? There was a crunch, and that was all it took for the porky boys to run away. She then turned to Malfoy and sent him a withering look.

Little did she know George and Harry were staring at her, completely gobsmacked. As she tried to throw a punch at Malfoy, she cursed his damn seeker reflexes. He grabbed hold of her arm, and pushed her against the wall. He had the guts to smirk, as she struggled against his hold.

George was about to run to punch the daylights out of him, but Harry stopped him.

"If she can make Crabbe and Goyle run away, I think she can easily handle Malfoy."

George reluctantly relaxed, but was still alert.

Soon that smirk was wiped off of Malfoy's face. His face was currently pressed into the wall.

"Push me and I'll push back," she said as she let go of Malfoy.

She turned away as took a deep breath, and looked up at the ceiling.

"One…two…three…four," she muttered. She looked down at the ground and her eyebrows knitted in frustration.

"_Damn it,"_ she muttered angrily as she turned around and punched Malfoy, taking him completely off guard, sending him to the floor.

She instantly felt the pain shoot up her arm, causing her to yelp in pain. She took a couple breaths, and turned around. Her face was flushed, and once she noticed that she had an audience, her face paled.

"That was BLOODY BRILLAINT!" George said, in complete awe.

"How come all the girls get to have a go at Malfoy? I mean, Hermione punched him in our third year, and now Beth got to punch him. I mean seriously…" Harry said, shaking his head.

Beth winced as she flexed her fingers, but neither Harry nor George saw it because they were looking at Malfoy.

"Uh, I think he's unconscious," George mumbled as he looked the Slytherin over.

"_Shite, really?_" Beth muttered, looking absolutely terrified.

"Yeah, he is," Harry muttered.

"Oh God. Oh God. What are we going to do? What's going to happen to _me?" _Beth started to ramble about several different ways she could die a slow, painful death.

"Relax; nothing's going to happen to you. We're going to leave before anyone finds us," George said.

"Yeah, that's exactly what we're going to do. We should probably go back to the Common Room now. Dinner is almost over." Harry said hurriedly, as he steered Beth in the direction of Gryffindor Tower.

-x-

"_Ouch!_ Stop poking my hand!" Beth yelped as George inspected her hand.

"If you stopped bloody _moving_ then maybe it wouldn't hurt as much," George snapped back.

Harry winced at her hand, which was now starting to turn purple.

"How did you not _feel _that?" he asked incredulously.

"It's called an adrenaline rush, Harry," Beth said as she finally stopped moving for George to look at her hand properly.

"_Episkey_," he said and soon the bruises and scratches on her hand disappeared.

"Thanks," she said, giving him a small smile.

"No problem," he smiled back, still not letting go of her hand. Which she really didn't mind one bit.

Harry started to feel rather awkward. He cleared his throat, but didn't look at the two.

The two of them quickly jumped apart, Beth turning beet red while George's ears turned red.

"Er, George, fancy a game of Exploding Snap?" Harry asked lamely.

"Yeah sure. Wanna join, Beth?" he asked.

"I think I'll pass," she said as she slowly sat down in one of the squishy red armchairs.

-x-

After sitting in the Common Room for about ten minutes, Hermione rushed through the Portrait Hole.

"Guys! Someone punched Malfoy unconscious! He claims that Beth did it, but Professors McGonagall and Snape don't believe it!"Hermione said, trying to catch her breath. She noticed that Beth was really interested in looking at the fire and that George and Harry seemed to be completely absorbed in their game of Exploding Snap.

"Malfoy was actually telling the truth. You did do it Beth!" said Hermione, wide-eyed.

Beth looked away from the fire and gave her a small nod. She didn't expect an uncharacteristic squeal from Hermione as she ran towards Beth and hugged her tightly.

"I knew you had it in you!" Hermione said, positively beaming at her best friend.

"You're not going to tell on me?" Beth squeaked.

"Of course not! What I think you did was bloody brilliant. There's no way I'm going to rat out my friend for punching a slimy git!" Hermione said seriously.

"George said the exact same thing. Well, the bloody brilliant part. Then I called him a slimy git before I had to punch Crabbe or Goyle because they were in my way. I don't even know who I punched, since I've never really bothered trying to figure out who is who. They aren't even his friends. They're just his bloody body guards. The slimy ferret," Beth said.

"Wait. Did you say that you _also_ punched Crabbe _and_ Goyle?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"I said I punched Crabbe _or_ Goyle. I wasn't paying attention to which I was punching. It only took me one punch to send them running. They weren't even that good of body guards anyways," Beth had started to ramble. Before Hermione could respond, everyone else was coming back from dinner, and when they find out who really did punch Malfoy, they would be in for a shock.

-x-

"Bloody Hell!" Beth muttered._ "Why do they keep staring at me? It's starting to get bloody annoying," s_he thought. It had been two days after the 'incident', and she was sitting at a table with Fred and George, attempting to finish her charms homework.

"What?" George asked.

"I can't stand it anymore! Parvati and Lavender keep looking at me as if I have a contagious disease! I mean, is it that bad for a girl to punch a guy?"

"For the record, you actually punched _two_ guys," George said.

"By the way, how did you learn how to fight like that?" Fred questioned.

"My mum made me take a Muggle self-defense class," she mumbled, looking at her textbook.

After a few minutes of reading the same line over and over, she let out a frustrated sigh. She sent Parvati and Lavender an exasperated look.

"If they keep looking at me like that, I might just have to punch them in the faces as well," she muttered darkly.

_"Now I know how Hermione felt in our third year. Except it couldn't have been as bad as _this,_"_ she thought.

She quickly gathered all of her things up and with a rushed, 'bye guys', she went up the girls' staircase.

"Did Beth just say that she might punch _more _people?" Fred asked incredulously.

"Yeah, I think she did," George said, sounding just as shocked as Fred.

A few minutes later, a very tired looking Ginny sat in the same spot Beth was in just a few minutes before.

"Hey," Ginny said as she carelessly dropped her book bag onto the floor. "Have you seen Beth?" she asked.

"Yeah, she was sitting in the same spot you are sitting in just a few minutes ago," Fred said.

"She was complaining about the repulsive looks that Parvati and Lavender were giving her. Then she asked us what was so bad about a girl punching a guy," George continued.

"And then she said that if they kept looking at her like that, then she might have to punch them in the face so then they would leave her alone," Fred said.

"But I highly doubt they would leave her alone if she punched them. Instead of repulsive looks they would probably send her murderous glares," George said.

"But anyways, then she just said 'bye guys' and left to go to her room and try to finish her Charms homework. That is, unless Parvati and Lavender decide to plan on annoying her some more," Fred said.

"Sweet Merlin. I've done my fair share of fighting between you lot, and they don't send any type of looks or glares at me," Ginny said.

"That's probably because you're our _sister._ They expect you to fight us, and hex us into oblivion or something," George said.

"Good point. Well, I'm gonna go and see if I can cheer Beth up. Later," Ginny said as she too, walked up the girl's staircase.

-x-

Hermione had just returned from the library, and looked quite miffed. She sat down in the seat that Ginny had occupied earlier.

"I couldn't get _any_ studying done! Pansy kept sending me murderous glares the entire time I was there. It was as if she was trying to kill me with her eyes. I assume she thought that I had hurt her precious _Dracikins,_" Hermione said in a bitter tone.

"I mean, ever since third year, he has stayed as far away from me as humanly possible. That still doesn't mean he hasn't insulted me, but still, he knows not to push me that far. And besides she's daft if she thinks I punched him when I was in the Great Hall with Harry and Ron," she let out a frustrated sigh.

"Wow," Fred mumbled, somewhat in awe.

_"She's really cute when she's mad,"_ Fred mused.

"Have you seen Ginny and Beth?" she asked.

"Beth is in your dorm trying to get her Charms homework done and Ginny is up there with her probably trying to cheer her up," George said as he leaned back in his chair.

"Why would Beth need some cheering up?" Hermione looked confused.

"She's sick of the repulsive looks Parvati and Lavender keep sending her," Fred said.

"Oh don't even get me started on _those,_" Hermione said. "Well, I guess I should go up there. I have a feeling that Ginny will be trying to cheer up two people instead of one. Night guys," Hermione gathered up her books and walked up the girl's staircase.

"Good gods," George muttered. "What is it with repulsive looks and murderous glares tonight?"

"I honestly have no idea," Fred mumbled. He really didn't understand how girls work.

"But I do know that Hermione looks cute when she's mad," Fred said in a happier tone he always uses when he talks about Hermione.

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**A/N: Ah, chapter two. I must say I like this chapter much better than the original. The original was so abrupt, and _no description whatsoever._ Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! **

**Let me know what you think!  
**


	3. Chapter 3: Shouting Matches, Losing Cont

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for the OCs.

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**_"If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable."  
-Louis D. Brandeis

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_Chapter 3: Shouting Matches, Losing Control, and the Consequences

It was the fifth year Gryffindor's first Defense Against the Dark Arts class with Professor Umbridge. Everyone was anxious, since Harry said that she wanted him expelled at his hearing for using magic in front of a Muggle, and because Hermione said that, 'the Ministry is interfering at Hogwarts'.

"Put your wands away, please," Umbridge said as she entered the classroom.

"_We won't be using our wands?"_ Beth thought, _"This isn't good."_

She passed out some textbooks. "The Ministry believes that your education for Defense Against the Dark Arts has been unacceptable," she continued.

Beth looked down at the old, battered textbook, _"Er, this looks like it's going to fall apart any second."_

"There isn't anything about using defensive spells," Hermione said as she skimmed the book.

"The Ministry believes that learning the theory of defensive spells would be sufficient enough for your OWLs," Umbridge replied primly.

"Learning about the theory of spells won't help us defend ourselves from what's out there," Harry said.

"What on earth would you be defending yourself from?" she asked,

"Oh, I don't know, maybe Lord Voldemort," Harry said sarcastically.

The only sound that could be heard was someone coughing.

"_This isn't going to end pretty,"_ Ron thought as he grimaced.

Then Umbridge spoke to the class, "There are rumors that the Dark Lord has returned. These are a lie," She said calmly and clearly.

"_Oh God. She's trying to get a rise out of him!" _Hermione thought as she gasped.

"I saw him! I fought him! He's back!" Harry said defensibly.

The classmates started to whisper to each other.

"Stop lying, Mr. Potter."

"So according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead on his own accord," he said accusingly.

The whispers died down almost immediately. Harry hadn't mentioned Cedric at all this year.

"Cedric Diggory's death was a horrible accident."

"He was murdered by Lord Voldemort," Harry said firmly.

"DETENTION, MR. POTTER!" Umbridge said shrilly.

_"Oh, she's not going to get off this easily,"_ Beth thought. She stood up from her seat, looked straight into Umbridge's eyes and asked, "Then how do you explain my parents' deaths?"

Hermione went pale. She knew this was going to end ugly. This wasn't going to end the same way as it did with Malfoy. Now matter how angry Beth will get she would never punch a _professor._

"Your parents' deaths, Miss Cooper, were a random killing by someone who thought it would be amusing to place the Dark Mark over your home."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione, their eyes as wide as saucers, swallowed loudly.

"My parents weren't a random killing! They were specifically targeted. First, they were tortured, and then they were killed. My brother was almost tortured to death, and he still has nightmares about hearing my parents' pleas for mercy," she was now shaking with anger.

"Miss Cooper that still doesn't mean that your parents were killed by some professional. They could have been killed by some amateur," Umbridge said dismissively.

"BY SOME AMATEUR?! THEY WERE SLAUGHTERED. They said that my mother had been tortured until an inch of her life, and then they killed her. When they found my father's body, he was missing some of his _toes_! An amateur couldn't do...do _that_!" she sputtered as some of the girls in the class gasped.

"Miss Cooper, I demand that you stop speaking this _instant!_" Umbridge commanded.

"No, I'm not _finished._ Someone who knew what they were _doing_ did that! Death Eaters are once again doing Lord Voldemort's evil deeds, and if the Ministry can't see that, then they are barking mad," she said defiantly. Angry Tears were streaming down her face.

"Are you defying the Ministry's judgment?!" Umbridge said shrilly.

"Well, when you put it that way, yes. I'm defying the Ministry's bloody judgment!" she yelled.

"_HOW dare you…you idiotic girl!_"

Not only did she defy the Ministry's judgment, she lost control of her magic.

-x-

"LET GO OF ME, YOU TOAD!" Beth yelled as she was being dragged down the corridors by Professor Umbridge.

"Never have I seen such lack of respect or discipline!" Umbridge as she gripped even tighter to Beth's arm.

She yelped in pain. Tears were now freely falling down Beth's face. They came across the last person she wanted to see right now, besides Umbridge, Snape.

"Severus! Good to see you! Do you know if Dumbledore is available right now?" Umbridge asked.

"He's free at the moment, I think. Why on earth do you need to see the headmaster so urgently, with Miss Cooper no less?" Snape asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Professor," Beth started. "I didn't mean to make those jars shatter and make the glass of the windows crack. I-"

"She did it on purpose! I know it!" Umbridge interrupted.

"Miss Cooper? Losing control of her magic? No mere girl of fifteen could make jars shatter on _purpose._" Snape said.

Beth was stunned. Was _Snape _actually defending her, in his own odd way?

"She's claimed that the Ministry is barking mad! She's clearly defying the Ministry!" Umbridge yelled.

"And why would the opinion of a fifteen year old girl trouble you so much?" Snape asked.

As Snape and Umbridge were going back and forth, Beth swore she saw some ginger hair poking out behind a tapestry. She had tuned out _Dolores_ and _Severus_ long ago.

"Good day, Severus!" Umbridge said as she dragged Beth towards the headmaster's office.

-x-

"Dolores! Aren't you supposed to be teaching a class? And you've brought Miss Cooper along!" Dumbledore said, sounding surprised.

"Miss Cooper," she spat. "Has no respect for her superiors and disrupted my class in the worst way possible! She lost control of her magic!"

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows in shock. "I'll take over now, Dolores; you have a class to return to."

"But-"

"No buts."

A very irritated Dolores Umbridge reluctantly left the room.

"Please have a seat, Miss Cooper," Dumbledore said as he gestured towards one of the squishy chairs in front of his desk.

"Now, I have never received such reports about you being disrespectful or ever losing control of your magic from any other professors. Although there is that **rumor** that you punched Mr. Malfoy in the face. But that's just a rumor," He said conversationally.

"I'm sorry, sir. I haven't lost control of my magic like that since I was very little. And even then, it was never like what happened earlier," Beth said.

"What exactly happened?" he asked.

"All the glass jars shattered, and the glass of the windows started to crack."

"Now tell me what happened that caused you to loose control of your magic like that."

"Well, she said that my parents were a random killing by someone who thought it would be amusing to put the Dark Mark over my house. Then I said that there was no way that they were killed by an amateur. I swear she was provoking me, just to see how I would react. And then I-"her eyes widened with realization.

"Then you did what? Please continue," he said, urging her to continue

"Then I said that the Death Eaters are once again doing Lord Voldemort's evil deeds, and if the Ministry can't see that, then they are barking mad," she said in a small voice.

"Then she screamed at me, and I kinda said that I defy the Ministry's judgment. She called me an idiotic girl after that. Then I lost control."

"Do you regret your actions?" he asked.

"To be completely honest? No. I'd only regret it would be if anybody got hurt," She said. "But what I said, even about the Ministry, I don't regret saying it. It probably would have happened sooner or later, and the outcome would probably be a lot worse."

Dumbledore nodded. "You're loosing control of your magic means to me that you are one very powerful witch. I, for one, will almost feel sorry for anyone that will be on the receiving end of one of you hexes. I believe that you should try controlling your anger," he stated.

"Now, onto your punishment," he said.

"My punishment, sir?" Beth asked.

"Yes, your punishment. If I don't give you a punishment, I will never hear the end of it from Dolores," he explained.

Beth nodded in reply, "I understand, sir."

Dumbledore thought for a moment, "I will assign you to detentions with Professor McGonagall, for a month. But I will personally tell Professor McGonagall that it's just for appearances, and that you should just help her grade papers or something along those lines. She might be able to help you out with controlling your anger," he said.

"Thank you, sir," Beth said as she smiled.

"Now, I'm going to assume that by lunch time, the whole school will know about your outburst. So I'll excuse you from the rest of your classes today and also tomorrow. And I think I'll excuse Mr. Weasley as well."

"Er, sir, which Mr. Weasley?" Beth asked confused.

"Oh, forgive me. I forgot that there's currently three Mr. Weasleys here. George Weasley," Dumbledore said amusedly.

"Excuse me, sir, but why George Weasley?" she questioned.

"Miss Cooper, I know that you and Mr. Weasley are very close friends. I'm guessing he would try to hex Professor Umbridge into oblivion the first chance he gets. So, by excusing him from classes as well, _you_ can keep a watch on him," he stated.

"Oh," she said quietly.

_"I bet he's skiving classes _anyways," Beth thought.

"Well, I think that's settled. I have to go to an important meeting in about twenty minutes."

Beth stood up from her chair. "Thank you, Professor."

As she was about to open the door, a thought came to her.

"Professor?"

"Yes, Miss Cooper?"

"About that rumor…It's only _partially_ true."

"What would make it completely true?" he asked.

"I also punched Crabbe or Goyle, I can't remember exactly, as well," she said as a mischievously smiled.

She left the office, leaving behind one very amused headmaster.

* * *

**A/N: Chapter Three! So, what do you think? Let me know!**


	4. Chapter 4: Neon Boxers, Dancing in

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for the OCs.

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**_"Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain."  
-Unknown

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_Chapter 4: Neon Boxers, Dancing in the Rain, and a Realization

"_Where in the name of Merlin's pants would George Weasley be?"_ Beth thought. As soon as she finished that thought, a pair of hands grabbed her and pulled her behind a tapestry that covered a very cramped passageway.

She started to scream, but a hand covered her mouth. She looked up at the person that grabbed her. She instantly relaxed.

"Bloody hell, George. Of all the passageways, you had to pick this one," she muttered. _"Thank Merlin that it's so dark in here. He won't be able to see my blush." _

"Did she hurt you? Did you get in trouble?" George asked.

"Slow down, George. We don't have to hide behind a tapestry just to have a conversation," she said as she walked out from behind the tapestry and into the empty corridor.

She started walking, waiting for George to assault her with questions.

"What did you do to get Umbridge so mad?" he asked.

"I said that the Death Eaters are once again doing Lord Voldemort's evil deeds and if the Ministry can't see that, then they're barking mad. Oh, and I lost control of my magic," she said.

George stopped dead in his tracks. "What did she say to you?" he asked.

"She said that my parents were killed by some amateur that thought it would be amusing to place the Dark Mark over my house," she said.

"I'm going to kill that toad." George said deathly quiet. His hands were in fists, and his knuckles were white.

"No, you're not," Beth said as she linked arms with George, leading them in the direction of the Portrait Hole.

"Why the bloody hell not?"

"Because you're going to spend the day with me," she stated simply.

"Wait. Why are we going to towards the Common Room? Don't you have classes?"

"I thought you'd never ask. I was starting to worry," she said sarcastically.

"Wait. Are you skipping classes on _purpose_?"

"George Weasley, I'm insulted that you would ever think of such a thing," she sniffed.

"You know very well that I'd never skip classes. Dumbledore excused me from the rest of my classes today _and_ tomorrow."

"And you're assuming that I'd skip all of my classes today and tomorrow. You know, I'm not that kind of bloke. I'd _never_ skip classes on purpose," he said.

"So what are you doing in the hallways when you should be in classes?" she questioned.

"Touché."

"Oh, I'm not assuming, I know. Dumbledore excused you from your classes as well. So you're stuck with me whether you like it or not," she said, as they reached the Portrait Hole. Beth said the password and they walked in.

"Why would Dumbledore excuse me from classes?" he asked.

Beth just shrugged. "I don't know. He mentioned that you would probably try and hex her or something," she looked out the window and noticed that it was raining.

"It's raining! I'll be right back!" she said as she raced up the girl's staircase. Seconds later, she was back in the Common Room, now barefoot. She looked down at George's feet.

"Are those nice shoes?" she asked.

"Well, yeah," he said. "I think."

She rolled her eyes and sighed, "Come on." She said as she grabbed George's hand and dragged him up the boy's staircase.

-x-

"Merlin! It's not even a month into term, and your dorm's a mess!" she said as she walked towards George's bed. She located a pair of old trainers, and threw them at George.

"Put those on."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

"Yes ma'am!" he saluted her and then quickly put them on.

"By the way, how did you know which bed was mine?" he asked.

"Oh, I recognized your boxers," she said as she pointed to a pair of neon green boxers.

George turned crimson. He opened his mouth several times, as if he was going to say something, but just closed his mouth.

"You want to know why I know those are your boxers?" she said knowingly.

He just nodded in reply, too embarrassed to speak.

"That is something I'm not willing to share," she winked at him. Then she grabbed his hand and said, "Come on Georgie boy, we're going to go have some fun."

-x-

As they reached the bottom of the staircase, they walked by Fred and Lee, who were sitting on the couch in front of the fire.

"Hi Lee. Hey Fred," said Beth quickly. Before they had the chance to respond, Beth and George were gone.

"Was Beth _barefoot_?" Fred asked incredulously.

Lee nodded in reply. "Are George and Beth going out?" he asked.

"No, they're just really good friends," Fred mumbled.

"Are you sure about that? Because they just came down the stairs _holding hands_ and I swear to everything that's holy that George was _blushing_."

Fred just shrugged in reply, now wondering about George and Beth's relationship.

-x-

"Where are we going?" George laughed as he was being dragged by Beth.

"You'll see. We're almost there," she said excitedly. She opened the doors that led to the grounds.

She let go of George's hand and ran out into the rain. She did a few spins and turned to look at George.

"Are you planning on joining, or are you just going to stare at me like that?" she raised an eyebrow.

George slowly walked towards her.

"You took your time," She smirked at him.

She turned around and found a huge puddle that looked like there was mud in it. She then turned to face George. She gave him a mischievous smile, and grabbed his hand. She ran towards the puddle and jumped. Mud was everywhere, and George just looked at her as if she had grown two heads.

She looked at him. "Haven't you ever played in the rain before?" she asked.

"No. Mum would never allow us," he said.

"And when has that ever stopped you from doing something?" she asked shocked. When he didn't respond, she shrugged.

"Well, now you're going to," she said as ran towards another puddle. She turned to look at George who was still standing in the other puddle, covered in mud.

"Come on, George. I want to have _fun,_" she said. She spun around with her face towards the sky, letting the rain fall down her face.

"_I can play in the rain. Yeah, I can do that,"_ he thought determinedly. Then he ran towards Beth and jumped into the puddle that she was standing in. She now was covered in mud. His eyes widened as he looked at Beth.

She gave him an impish grin, "Oh, you're so going **down** for that," she said as she launched herself at him. He lost his balance and fell into the puddle, and he of course, brought her down with her. She was sitting in his lap.

"Now we're even," she stated triumphantly. Her eyes locked with George's. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring herself from looking away.

"_His eyes are gorgeous," _Beth mused. She felt herself lean towards George.

Then her brain finally kicked into gear, and she realized she was sitting in his lap. She quickly got up and started to blush. George also blushed too.

"Sorry," was all she managed to say. She held out her hand to him. He took it, and she helped pull him up. She laughed a little at seeing how much mud George was now covered in.

"What? Is there something on my face?" he said jokingly. He was quite aware that he was covered in mud from head to toe.

"Oh nothing's wrong. It's just that we probably both look ridiculous right now," she said.

"There's nothing wrong with looking ridiculous. I look like that frequently," he said.

She laughed. _"Merlin, she's beautiful when she laughs. Wait, where did that come from?!"_ George thought.

"Have you ever danced in the rain?" he asked her.

"Yes, I have."

"Is it fun?"

"Here, I'll show you," She took a few steps back from him. She started to spin around. Knowing exactly what she was doing, she spun towards George and ended up flush against his body. She saw his ears turn red, and she felt herself blush as well.

"May I cut in?" he smirked.

She just nodded in reply. She placed her left hand on his shoulder, and he held her right hand. Slowly, at first they started to dance. But as time went by, their dancing became more carefree. Soon George was spinning Beth multiple times and dramatically dipping her, and all the while Beth was laughing.

"_I haven't had this much fun in ages,"_ she mused. _"I never knew that George was actually a good dancer. He looks so adorable covered in mud,"_ she added. _"But I swear we were going to kiss earlier. Does that mean he likes me too?"_

She had never told anyone, besides Hermione and Ginny, that she had a small crush on George. It started a couple weeks ago and now she knew that she really liked him.

"_Oh God. I hope I don't become a blabbering idiot like those girls that follow Fred and George like they are stalking their prey. I seriously hope I don't become like that."_

After several more minutes of dancing, they finally stopped, "I think it's almost lunch time. Wanna go and knock some socks off a few people?" George said.

"Yes, I do. But I think we'll knock the socks of more than a few people. Maybe more like the entire Great Hall," Beth said as she linked arms with George. On their way to the Entrance Hall, they had already been on the receiving end of several odd stares.

"Ready?" George asked.

Beth nodded. She was actually pretty hungry, and the fact that the entire school would be seeing her covered from head to toe in mud was more than a little daunting. Each taking a deep breath, they walked into the noisy Great Hall.

-x-

As George and Beth walked into the Great Hall, she kept hearing people say, _'Is that Beth Cooper?' 'Why is she and George covered in mud and soaking wet?' 'Why is she barefoot?_'

She tried to ignore them, but that was practically impossible. They finally reached the Gryffindor table, where everyone else was sitting. They sat down and acted normal, ignoring all the strange looks they were getting.

"Hey guys," Beth said cheerfully. She glanced at the Staff Table and noticed that Umbridge was looking quite miffed and Dumbledore, who should be looking at them disapprovingly, was actually trying to hide a smile.

"What's up?" she asked. She grabbed a sandwich from one of the platters, and placed it one her plate.

Everyone was looking at her as if she had grown three heads. "We've been worried sick about you two! You both skipped out on classes and we didn't know where you were!" Ron said, looking very annoyed.

She smiled affectionately at him. Even though Ron tends to blow things way out of proportion, he always has his heart in the right place.

"Relax, Ron. Dumbledore excused us from classes today and tomorrow," she said.

"Wait, what do you mean by _us_?" Harry asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Us," she said, pointing at George and herself.

"Why would Dumbledore excuse George from classes when he wasn't there?" Hermione said.

"He mentioned something about me wanting to hex Umbridge into oblivion and that she should keep a watch on me," George mumbled. "And he's right. I want to hex her into the next century."

Hermione gave Beth a, _we-need-to-talk,_ look and Beth gave her an, _I'll-explain-later_, look. No matter how many questions they kept asking her, she couldn't stop smiling.

"Why are you so cheerful? From what Ron, Hermione, and Harry told me, you should be about to murder someone," David asked. He sat with them at least once everyday. It wasn't like he didn't have friends; he was quite a popular first year. He just thought that they were more interesting than his friends at times.

Beth just shrugged in reply.

"_Okay, that was very _helpful," David said sarcastically.

Beth laughed, "I'm living a little. Is it a crime for me to do that?"

She looked at George. He was finishing probably his fourth sandwich. He was getting some weird looks from Lee and Fred.

"_I hope they don't suspect anything. I mean, nothing has happened. I mean except for the fact that we _almost _kissed," _Beth thought.

"Are you done, George?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said as he stood up from his seat. He held out his hand to help her out of her seat.

"Why thank you, kind sir," she said in a playful tone.

"No problem at all, Milady," he said as he bowed. She started to blush as she noticed the hundreds of eyes that were staring at them.

"What would you like to do, sir?" She asked.

He thought for a moment. "I have a splendid idea! Let us dance the afternoon away! What do you think, Milady?" he said as he reached for her hand.

"I think it's a brilliant idea," she curtsied and he bowed.

Then she placed her left hand on his shoulder and he placed his hand on her waist. Then they started to dance again, but this time in the Great Hall, in front of all the professors and students. George spun her around a couple of times, much to the dismay of many girls. Once they reached the exit, he dramatically dipped her, before they continued on dancing, in their own little world.

Everyone at the Gryffindor table was completely gobsmacked.

"Was _Beth flirting with George?_" Ginny asked gobsmacked.

"Why were they covered in mud?" Fred asked, his eyebrows knitted in confusion.

David was just thinking about that when it clicked. He looked at the windows, and noticed that it was raining.

"She was dancing in the rain," he muttered disbelievingly.

Everyone turned to look at him, and waited for him to explain.

"She would always dance in the rain. When she was happy, sad, or angry she would go out and dance in the rain. Mum and Dad always yelled at her for it, but it never stopped her. She would always say that the rain would wash away all of her problems. That's probably the first time she's danced in the rain since they…" he trailed off. He then picked up his fork and began to eat his salad.

Then another thing clicked. It shocked him so much that he dropped his fork. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, Lee, and Ginny looked at him with concern.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"I just realized something. She always insisted that she wanted to be alone when she was dancing in the rain. She would never let me go out and play in the rain with her. She said that for as long as she lives she'd never let anyone else dance with her. Especially when that person…"his eyes widened in realization.

"_Sweet Merlin! She's got to be falling for George! There's no other way she would have allowed George to dance in the rain with her,"_ David thought.

While everyone else were wondering what David meant, Lee murmured to Fred, "Are you sure George and Beth aren't going out?"

Fred was speechless.

* * *

**A/N: Ah, I absolutely _adore_ this chapter. :) I hope you like it as well! Let me know what you think. Feedback is greatly appreciated.**


	5. Chapter 5: Late Night Talks

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for the OCs.

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**_"It's the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter."  
-Marlene Dietrich

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_

Chapter 5: Late Night Talks

Beth was getting ready for bed as Hermione and Ginny were sitting on her bed. True to her word, Beth was going to explain _everything _that had happened today. She quickly hopped onto the bed and closed the curtains.

Ginny and Hermione lit their wands, and Beth performed a silencing spell on the curtains. When Ginny and Hermione gave her questioning looks, she simply stated, "So Parvati and Lavender can't hear."

"Is anything going on between you and George?" Ginny asked excitedly.

"No," she sighed. "We're still just friends."

Ginny deflated a little.

"But I realized something today," she said. "It was while I was sitting in his lap."

"You were sitting in his LAP?!" Hermione asked.

Beth blushed at this. "Yeah, I launched myself at him because he jumped into a puddle and I got all muddy. But I didn't expect that I would end up in his lap. His eyes are absolutely _gorgeous,_" she said with a far away look.

"Hey, David told us something. He said that you would never let him play in the rain with you. Then he said that you would never let anyone dance with you. Especially if that someone was a-"Ginny was cut off.

"-a guy," Beth finished without really thinking about what she just said.

Hermione whistled. "Damn, she's got it bad."

"That or she considers George to be a girl," Ginny said jokingly.

That snapped Beth back to reality. "Sweet Merlin! I'm falling for George Weasley!"

"Well, it's about time! We were starting to get worried about you!" Hermione said.

"Oh? And have you done anything about you and _Fred_?" Beth retorted back.

Hermione blushed at this.

"_Hah. That shut her up,"_ Beth thought smugly. She knew that Hermione had more than friendly feelings for the other Weasley twin.

"Just imagine if you guys got married to them! Then we would be SISTERS!" Ginny gushed.

"Back the truck up, buddy. We don't even _know_ if they like _us_ back!" Hermione said.

"Back the _what_ up?" Ginny asked confused.

Beth giggled. Growing up with Muggle backgrounds, Beth knew what Hermione was talking about. You would think that Ginny would pay attention in Muggle Studies…

"It's a Muggle phrase," she quickly explained.

Ginny nodded, but is still confused.

The trio was silent for awhile.

"I almost kissed him," Beth said softly.

"You almost WHAT?!" Ginny and Hermione yelled.

"Kissed him. It was when I was sitting in his lap. I was looking in his eyes, and I was leaning closer to him, and he was _too…_" she trailed off.

"Then what happened?" Hermione urged her to continue.

Beth sighed, "Then my brain woke up and told me that I was sitting in my _best friend's _lap."

It was silent again.

"I don't know about you two, but I'm tired," Hermione yawned.

Beth nodded in agreement.

"Night guys," she said as she released the curtains from the silencing spell. Hermione and Ginny quickly scurry out.

"_We must have spent at least an hour or more talking because all the lights are out,"_ she thought. Beth heard the door close, the only sound proving that Ginny was here.

"Good night, Beth." Hermione quietly said.

"Night 'Mione," she said back.

Her last thoughts before she went to sleep were _"I can't believe I'm falling for my best friend in the entire world, George Weasley."_

-x-

"Bloody Hell!" Fred muttered as he collapsed on his bed.

"That was a close call. I thought for sure that Filch was going to catch us," George said as he too collapsed onto his bed.

After a few minutes of catching their breath, Fred broke the silence.

"So today at lunch David said that you were dancing in the rain," he said.

"Wait, how would he know that?" George asked.

"What can I say? That boy knows his sister pretty well," Fred said.

"Oh, alright then."

"He also mentioned that she swore that she would never let anyone else dance with her in the rain for as long as she lives," Fred also said.

George didn't know how to respond to that.

"She must really like you," Fred said seriously.

"You think so?" George asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I think so," his twin said reassuringly.

"You need to just snog her and get it over with. You've been in love with her for ages," Fred said.

"Oi, I haven't loved her for ages!" George said as he threw a pillow at his twin.

Fred quickly dodged it, "Oh, _yes you have._ You just never realized it."

George was silent for awhile, thinking about what Fred had said.

"So what about you and 'Mione?" George asked, changing the subject.

"Oh, I was thinking about asking her on a date to Hogsmeade," Fred said as he lay down on his bed.

"Nice," George said.

"Well, I don't know about you, but being chased by Filch made me tired." Fred said.

"Yeah, it has," George smiled. "Good night, Fred."

"Bloody hell, you two talk as much as_ girls_. Will you go to_ bed_, already? There are _other_ people in here, you know," Lee grumbled.

The duo laughed, and quickly went to bed.

* * *

**A/N: Well, that's chapter 5! So, George and Beth both like each other! When do _you_ think they're going to get together? Let me know! Feedback is appreciated. :)**


	6. Chapter 6:Ginger Hair & Murderous Glares

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for the OCs.

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**

_"A joke is a very serious thing."  
-Winston Churchill_

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Chapter 6: Ginger Hair and Murderous Glares

"GEORGE FABIAN WEASLEY!" Beth yelled as she ran down the girl's staircase and into the Common Room. She was holding a hairbrush.

"Yes?" George said. He had a smirk on his face.

"WHY AM I A RED-HEAD?!"

"How should I know?" he said innocently while looking at her now ginger hair. "You know, you look good as a red-head."

"You don't know?" she said in a mocking tone, "_Bullshit."_

George arched his eyebrow.

She let out a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, "How long will it last?"

"Oh, about a month or two," he said casually.

"WHAT?! Oh, George Weasley, you are SO going to pay for this!"

She then heard a scream, and then she heard Hermione yell, "FRED GIDEON WEASLEY!"

"You dyed her hair too?!" she asked incredulously. That's when she noticed Fred was trying to sneak out of the Common Room.

"Oh no you don't. You aren't going _anywhere_," she dragged Fred towards the couch in front of the fire. Then she saw Hermione, who now had bushy ginger hair, yell her head off at Fred.

"_Dang, even though she has a _crush _on him, she can hide it pretty well. I would have let him off easy," _Beth thought as she watched Hermione scream at Fred for being a '_sodding idiot'._

"HOW LONG WILL THIS LAST?!" yelled Hermione.

"And that's our cue to leave," Beth said as she dragged George out of the Portrait Hole, completely forgetting the fact that she was mad at George. Hermione Granger was _down-right scary _when she was pissed off.

They started walking towards the Great Hall, but then Beth stopped dead in her tracks.

"What's wrong?" George asked.

"I can't go in there," she squeaked.

"Come on, you need to have a good breakfast to start the day," George said. Beth just shook her head.

"I wish I didn't have to do this, but you need to eat some breakfast," George said as he picked Beth up and threw her over his shoulder.

"GEORGE FABIAN WEASLEY! YOU PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT!" she screamed, but deep down, she was enjoying it.

"Oh come on, you know you _like _it," George said cheekily.

Her face turned a deep red.

"_Thank Merlin he can't see my face!" _she thought.

"Put me down, _please?_" she asked, hoping that being polite would get her out of this situation.

"No, you need to have some breakfast. So if I have to carry you down there, I'll do it," he said determinedly.

"_Damn, I guess kicking and screaming will have to do,"_ she thought.

"I HATE YOU GEORGE! FIRST YOU DYE MY HAIR AND NOW YOU'RE CARRYING ME TO BREAKFAST! SOME FRIEND YOU ARE!"she screamed.

Then she saw Luna skipping down the corridor, with her radish-looking earrings bouncing up and down with each hop.

"Hi George. Hi Bethany. I almost didn't recognize you, with your ginger hair and all. You have very distinct looking eyes. Most of the time they are blue but sometimes they look more green. Oh I do hope there's pudding. I love pudding."

"Luna, its breakfast time," George said.

"Well, a girl can dream, can't she?" she said with a distant look on her face.

"Bye guys. See you later," she skipped her merry way towards the Great Hall.

Once they finally reached the Entrance Hall, George finally let Beth down. As he looked down at her, he noticed her face was as red as her hair from blushing so much. It also looked like she was on the verge of crying.

She looked up at him and scowled.

"_I'm actually starting to regret pranking Beth like this,"_ George thought. _"I mean, its only breakfast, she might die from embarrassment before it's even over!"_

"Well, at least now you're going to have some breakfast," He said thoughtfully.

She just sent him a murderous glare and walked into the Great Hall.

"_Bloody Hell!" _George thought. "_Not again with those murderous glares. Well, at least she hasn't sent me a repulsive look yet."_

-x-

"Bloody Hell! What happened to your hair?!" Ron asked as Beth sat down at the Gryffindor table. George sat down next to her.

"_Someone_ thought it would be funny to make my hairbrush dye my hair," she said as she sent a glare at George. He just smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, and I suggest you keep your mouth shut when Hermione comes in. That is, if you value your life at all," she said as she grabbed a piece of toast.

Ron just shrugged and shoveled more food onto his plate, causing Beth to send him a repulsive look.

_"Merlin's pants! Does that boy _ever_ stop eating?" _she thought.

"You know, Beth, with your red hair, you look like you're a long lost sister of the Weasleys," Harry said thoughtfully, trying to lighten her situation.

"Thanks Harry…I think," She said, not really understanding if he was insulting or complementing her.

Then Hermione walked into the Great Hall. She was acting normal, as if her hair wasn't ginger instead of the brown that it usually is. She also didn't look like she just yelled her head off at Fred Weasley. In fact, she looked _blissfully _happy.

"Morning everyone," she said as she sat on the other side of Beth.

"Morning," Everyone grumbled back.

A few minutes later, Fred came walking in. Surprisingly, he was in one piece. He didn't look like he just felt the wrath of Hermione Jane Granger.

"Good morning everyone!" he said way too cheerfully.

"Bloody hell Fred. Do you have to be so cheerful this morning?" David grumbled. The first year came and sat down next to Ron and started to pile some bacon onto his plate. He was so tired that he didn't even notice the change of hair color of either Hermione or Beth.

"Language, David!" Hermione said.

"Whatever. It's too early in the morning," David grumbled.

_"Ugh. Harry is staring at _Cho_ again. Why doesn't he just ask her out already! It's starting to get annoying," _Beth thought.

_"I still don't see what he sees in her that he's so attracted to. Yeah, she's pretty. But lately she's been a human hose-pipe. I wouldn't blame her, either. She and Cedric were the perfect couple," _she shot a glance at Ginny, who also seemed to notice that Harry was staring shamelessly at Cho.

_"Poor Ginny. He doesn't even notice her. Well, he probably now notices her as Ron's little sister who can actually speak in sentences in front of him now. I just hope Hermione knows what she's talking about when she told Ginny to go after other guys," _she thought sadly.

"Mione, did you _snog _him or something? You're awfully cheerful, this morning," Beth muttered to Hermione as she threw the Daily Prophet away in disgust. Beth had turned away to look at Fred before she noticed that Hermione had blushed.

She looked at Fred, who was currently talking animatedly about one of his pranks he pulled on Filch.

_"He's way too cheerful right now. Usually he's like David in the morning. He can barely form a coherent sentence, unless he starts yelling," s_he thought.

_"The way Hermione looked this morning; I thought for sure Fred was a goner. Also Hermione hasn't even said one word about how much she thinks Fred is an idiot. Okay, so she does have a crush on him, but that doesn't mean that she can't explode when he pulls a prank on her," _She said as she glanced at Hermione, who was reading the _Daily Prophet._

_"I think a chat with Hermione is in order,"_ She decided as she started to talk to David about how Umbridge is treating him in his DADA class.

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**A/N: Here's chapter 6! I'm hoping you enjoyed it! Feedback is appreciated. :)**


	7. Chapter 7: Chats, Snogging, Dates

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for the OCs.

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**_"The kiss always gets a hell of a reaction."  
-Dominic West

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_

Chapter 7: A Chat With Hermione, Some Snogging, A Chat with Fred, Dates, and Even More Chats

Hermione and Beth were working on their Transfiguration essay together in the Common Room. Well, it was mostly Hermione working on her essay, since Beth had finished her essay already. Although as she looked at Hermione's essay, she realized that it much longer than hers.

"_It's now or never,"_ thought Beth.

"Hey 'Mione?"she asked.

"Yeah?" Hermione continued scribbling away.

"Is there something going on between you and Fred?" she asked bluntly.

Hermione quickly looked up. "Excuse me?" Her eyes were as big as saucers.

Beth smirked. _"Just by the look of her face, there _is_ something going on between her and Fred."_

"Is there something going on between you and Fred?" she repeated.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hermione replied dumbly.

"Oh come off of it Hermione! How come at breakfast you didn't rant about how much of an evil git Fred was for pulling that prank. The way you were yelling at Fred this morning I thought for sure he was going to be a goner. He was way too cheerful this morning. Fred's never a morning person," Beth said knowingly in one breath.

Hermione's resolve crumbled. "Was it that obvious?" she cringed.

"No, I just know you and Fred too well," she said assuring. "So?"

"So…?" asked a confused Hermione.

"So spill it. Tell me everything," Beth said excitedly.

"Okay. I'll pick up right after you left."

*FLASH BACK*

"HOW LONG WILL THIS LAST?!" Hermione yelled.

Fred was standing up by now. "About a month or two," he said nonchalantly.

"ABOUT A MONTH OR TWO?! I LOOK HORRIBLE WITH RED HAIR! Have you made it your personal mission to make my life as miserable as can be?" she asked exasperated.

"Well, yes, in a way," he said truthfully.

"Minus the miserable part, at least," he added.

She gaped at him, not expecting his blunt honesty.

"Do you want me to be completely honest with you?" Fred said.

"Yes," Hermione said shakily.

"I love it when you yell at me," he said as he stared into her eyes.

"W-what?" she stuttered.

"I love it when you get angry. You're actually quite pretty when you're mad," Fred said as his ears started to turn pink.

"I-I-don't understand," she stuttered as she looked at Fred.

"What don't you understand?" he asked confused.

"I thought I had made this pretty clear. The thing is, I like you a lot, Hermione," Fred said, as he took a step closer to her.

He then noticed the look of disbelief on her face, and it clicked, "You don't understand how I could like you?"

She just nodded, not meeting his gaze.

"Hermione," Fred said in a tone that Hermione couldn't ignore. "You're one of the most intelligent, passionate, and beautiful girl I've ever met," he said truthfully.

She looked down, blushing.

"I really like you too, Fred," Hermione said in a small voice.

Fred closed the distance between them. "So I was wondering if you would like to go out with me on the next Hogsmeade trip. It's next weekend, you know," he asked.

"Yes, I'd love to," she whispered. Her eyes danced with joy. Their faces were inches apart, and Fred could feel Hermione's warm breath on his face.

"Excellent," He whispered back, and he kissed her.

*END FLASHBACK*

"You two SNOGGED in the Common Room?!" Beth said.

Hermione blushed. "Yes, we did. And now I've got a date for the next Hogsmeade trip!"

"I'm so glad for you! I've never seen you this happy," Beth said honestly.

"Thanks! And to be completely honest, I've never been this happy!" she beamed.

Beth couldn't explain it, but suddenly she felt really lonely.

-x-

"Guess what George!" Fred said as he sat down on his bed.

"What Fred?"

"I finally asked Hermione out," Fred said happily.

"When? And what did she say?" George asked, surprised.

"In the Common Room before breakfast and she said yes," Fred beamed.

"Ah, that explains why you were excessively happy this morning," George said. "Wait, I thought Ron had a thing for Hermione."

"The last time I checked, our dear younger brother has a thing for Susan Bones," Fred said as he lay down on his bed.

"The Hufflepuff?" George asked.

"Well, there's only one Susan Bones at this school. If there is, I obviously never got that memo," Fred said sarcastically.

"Huh," George said. "Ron and Susan Bones? Never saw that one coming."

"Very true, dear brother of mine," Fred said, "Very true."

George couldn't really explain, but as he was lying down in his bed he felt really lonely.

-x-

Beth was sitting in the Common Room working on a rather lengthy (and impossible) Potion's essay. George was sitting across the table from her and was _studying _for Charms. It also happened to be two days before the Hogsmeade trip, and it seemed like everyone had dates. Hermione and Fred were going together. Ginny was going with her current boyfriend, and Harry finally asked Cho out. Ron was going with Susan, and Lee Jordan was going with Angelina Johnson.

Everyone seemed to have a date, except for Beth.

"George, am I ugly?" Beth blurted out.

George looked up from his textbook and said, "You're absolutely beautiful."

"Then how come no on has asked me to Hogsmeade yet?" she whined.

"They probably think you're intimidating. You did punch two Slytherins and lost control of your magic. They're probably too scared to see what would happen if you got angry at them or something." He said.

"Oh, so I **_scared_** them away?" she said.

"That's what I'm guessing."

She hit her head on the table. "Then I'll never get a date ever again!" she groaned.

"You know, I don't have a date to Hogsmeade," he said conversationally.

"Really?" she lifted her head up from the table.

"So wanna go to Hogsmeade with me?" he asked.

"Really? I'd love to George!" she said as she launched herself at him to give him a hug.

"George Weasley, you just made my day!" she said as she gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"I try," he said as his ears turned crimson. _"Damn my ears. Why did I have to inherit that Weasley trait?"_ George thought to himself.

She gathered up her things and headed towards the girl's staircase.

"I'll see you later, George," she said merrily.

"Yeah, see you," he said dazedly. His hand sub-consciously went up to the place where Beth had kissed him. A goofy grin was plastered to his face all day

-x-

At dinner time, everyone seemed to notice that something was going on between Beth and George. George was staring shamelessly at Beth and had that goofy grin still plastered on his face, and every time Beth looked up from her plate she saw George staring at her. Every single time she saw him staring at her, she would blush royally. Hermione and Ginny kept shooting 'we-need-to-talk' glances at each other as they watched the pair curiously.

_"Why am I blushing like crazy?"_ Beth thought. **_"Because George is staring at you shamelessly, you idiot."_** Replied the voice inside her head. _"Ugh, I know for a fact that I'll have to explain to Hermione and Ginny about this. So much for getting a good night's sleep tonight."_

"Hey mate; do you know why Beth and George are acting all weird?" Ron asked to Harry.

"I really don't know, Ron. But _something_ happened." Harry replied.

_"Merlin, I've never seen George act like this around a girl before,"_ thought Fred as he was looking at his twin. _"A chat with Georgie boy is in order methinks."_

-x-

"Beth, why were you blushing like there was no tomorrow at dinner?" Hermione asked as they got settled on Beth's bed.

"GEORGE ASKED ME TO GO TO HOGSMEADE WITH HIM!" Beth squealed.

"So he finally got some sense knocked into him!" Ginny said.

"Well, he never specified if we were going out _going out,_" Beth said as she deflated a little. "I completely forgot that I never asked him if this was a real date."

"But that still doesn't mean you shouldn't get all nice for it! You want to knock his socks off, don't you?" Hermione asked.

"Of course!" Beth nodded in agreement.

"I call doing your make up!" Ginny quickly said.

"You might as well call doing her hair too, Ginny. You know I'm bad when it comes to hair. But I call picking out your outfit!" Hermione said.

-x-

"George, are you and Beth going out?" Fred asked.

"Kinda sorta not really," George said while scratching the back of his head.

"What would that mean?" Fred asked.

"I never really specified if we're going to Hogsmeade as friends or more," He explained sheepishly.

"_Oh-Kay._ But hey, this is your chance to prove how amazing you are! You can be the perfect date for her!" Fred said.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," George nodded in agreement.

"Of course I'm right! Now, here's what you should do…"

* * *

**A/N: Next chapter, Hogsmeade! Let me know what's your favorite part of this story so far! :)**


	8. Chapter 8: Hogsmeade

**Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling, I'm only having fun with her characters. :)

* * *

**

_"I don't know the first real thing about the dating game. I don't know how to talk to a specific person and connect. I just think you have to go to person by person and do the best you can with people in general."  
-Jason Schwartzman

* * *

_Chapter 8: Hogsmeade

"May I present, Bethany Elizabeth Cooper!" Ginny said.

Beth was wearing dark skinny jeans with a gray turtleneck, with a black pea coat over it. She was wearing a pair of black ballet flats. Her hair was loosely curled and half of it was put in a bun. Her make-up was subtle and made her eyes pop.

George's jaw dropped. "Beth, you look, wow," he finally managed to speak.

Beth started to blush. "Thanks, George. You don't look to bad yourself," she said.

"Oi! You two! Stop undressing each other with your eyes!" Fred said.

Beth and George quickly looked away from each other; both beet red.

"Anyways, we'll meet you at the Three Broomsticks at three," Fred said as he and Hermione walked out the Portrait Hole.

As they walked into the Entrance Hall, Beth stopped walking and beckoned George closer. She started to whisper something in George's ear, which caused him to grin. They linked arms.

"One…" George started.

"Two…" Beth continued.

"THREE!" they said in unison.

Then they both started to sing (rather loudly and off key), "HEIGH-HO, HEIGH-HO! IT'S OFF TO HOGSMEADE WE GO!"

They continued to sing that until they reached Hogsmeade.

-x-

"Where to next?" George asked as they exited Honeydukes.

"I don't know," Beth shrugged.

As they walked by many shop windows, Beth stopped dead in her tracks and was staring shamelessly at a shop window. It took awhile for George to realize that Beth wasn't walking beside him, but when he turned around he saw that she was glued to the shop window like a little boy seeing the latest broomstick model.

In the shop window, was a dress. It was a sleeveless dress in galaxy blue. It had a scoop-neck and an empire waist above a pleated party skirt. To simply put it, Beth _loved_ it. **(A/N: link to the picture of the dress is in my profile)**

She then glanced at the sign next to it, which showed the price tag. Her eyes widened at how expensive it is, and that shook her out of the dream-like state she was in. She took one more glance at the dress and started to walk away.

"Aren't you going to go in?" George asked.

Beth shook her head no in response.

"Why not?"

"It's too expensive. I mean, I _can_ afford it, but if I bought it, then I couldn't buy Christmas presents for anyone," she said, trying to persuade herself into not getting it.

"Besides," Beth sighed longingly. "It's only a dress."

"_Only a dress that I absolutely love,"_ she thought.

An idea popped into George's head. "Hey, it's almost three. I've got to go check something out. You go ahead and tell everyone I'll be there shortly," he said.

"Okay, see you there," she smiled as she walked towards the Three Broomsticks.

She stopped dead in her tracks as a thought came to her.

"_He wouldn't,"_ she thought as she shook her head.

-x-

The Three Broomsticks, as usual, was extremely crowded. As Beth walked in, she noticed she was being waved down by Fred, who was waving like a lunatic.

"Where's Georgie boy?" Fred asked as Beth approached the table.

"Oh, he said that he was checking something out and said that he would be here soon. So what have you been doing?" Beth said.

"Oh, you know. We went to Honeydukes, Zonkos, Flourish and Botts, and snogging here and there," Fred said casually.

"FRED!" Hermione yelled as she hit him on the arm.

"What? She asked us what we were doing," Fred said innocently.

Hermione just rolled her eyes in response. "So what have you and George been doing?" she asked.

"We went to Honeydukes, Zonkos and then I saw in a shop the most beautiful dress I've ever seen," Beth gushed.

"Did you try it on?" Hermione asked, completely interested.

Beth shook her head. "No, if I did, I would have bought it. I wouldn't be able to buy anything else for the rest of the year."

"You only went to _two_ stores? What else were you doing with George?" Fred said as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"FRED! GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER! We didn't do anything like _that_!" Beth yelled as she started to blush.

Then Hermione noticed that George had walked in and waved him over.

"Hey guys. Sorry I'm late. I was just checking something out," he said as he sat down next to Beth. He draped his arm over the back of her chair. Beth unknowingly leaned towards him.

She missed the knowing look Hermione had on her face.

"Fred, why don't you get us some butterbeers? Hermione asked sweetly.

"Yeah, sure. Come on Georgie boy," Fred said as he and George left the table.

"I saw Ron and Susan earlier," Beth said.

"What were they doing?" Hermione asked.

"They were walking together towards Honeydukes, they were blushing like mad, but they looked so cute together! She was even laughing at some of his lame jokes," Beth mused. She never really thought of Ron and Susan as a couple before.

"Well, good for them. If Susan enjoys Ron's lame jokes, then I hope they last. But I think there's trouble in paradise with Harry and Cho," Hermione said.

"Why?" her best friend asked.

"They were in Madame Puddifoot's and Harry looked like he was uncomfortable," Hermione continued.

"_Madame Puddifoot's?_ You _never_ go there for the first date. That place is crowded with snogging couples, and I don't think Harry and Cho are at the 'snogging-in-front-of-everyone-to-see' stage," Beth said in pure horror.

"I agree with you," Hermione said just as Fred and George returned with butterbeers in each hand.

"Thanks George," Beth said as she was handed one.

"No problem," he replied, draping his arm over Beth's chair once again.

After a few minutes of talking about whom they saw, Fred and George started to talk about their joke shop. The twins completely ignored Beth and Hermione.

"I wonder how they'll act around their dates once they _open_ the joke shop," Beth said jokingly.

Hermione just rolled her eyes.

-x-

The two couples were now on their way back to the castle. George and Beth stopped walking as they came across a puddle.

"There seems to be a large puddle blocking our way, Milady," George said gravely.

"I believe you are correct, sir," Beth said as she played along.

"Well, I wouldn't want your lovely outfit to get ruined, so I believe there is only one option left," he said determinedly.

"And what, would that option be, sir?" Beth asked, genuinely interested.

George picked her up bridal style and started to walk through the puddle. "That is the only option," he said.

"Oh, George Weasley! You're my HERO!" Beth said dramatically as she gave him a big sloppy kiss on the cheek.

George just rolled his eyes, but Beth could tell he was amused. After a few minutes of still being in George's arms, Beth realized that she should have been put down ages ago.

"You can put me down, you know," Beth said. _"But I hope you don't,"_ she thought.

"If I put you down, and we come across another puddle, I'll just have to carry you again. It's just easier this way," George said as if it was nothing.

Beth looked around and noticed several girls giving her dirty looks.

"Fine, but there are some girls from your fan club giving me dirty looks right now, if for some reason I get mauled by one of them, I'm blaming you for it," she huffed.

"Wait, I have a _fan club_?" George asked.

"Fred also has one too. You two just so happen to be the most attractive guys at Hogwarts. Hell, even Oliver Wood still has a fan club, and he's been gone for a few years," Beth said.

"Do _you_ think I'm dashingly handsome?" George asked as he arched an eyebrow.

Beth muttered something that George couldn't hear.

"What was that? I didn't hear it," he said.

"YES!" she said as she turned crimson.

George smirked. _"I can use that tid bit of information for future reference,"_ he thought.

* * *

**A/N: That's the Hogsmeade trip! What do you think?**


	9. Chapter 9: Boggarts & Peaceful Looks

**Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling. I'm only having fun with her characters. :)

* * *

**_"Fear is the foundation of safety."  
-Tertullian

* * *

_

Chapter 9: Boggarts, Peaceful Looks, Floo Calls, and the Rebellion Begins 

"Today class, we'll be covering boggarts," Professor Umbridge said as she walked by an ancient chest that was shaking.

No one even bothered to question out loud why they were covering boggarts again.

"Now, I assume you know the spell to get rid of the boggart," Umbridge continued.

"_There is __**no**__ way that she's doing this for a __**review,**__" _Beth thought.

"Miss Cooper, you'll be going first," Umbridge said primly.

"_Of __**course**__ I'm first. Pick on the girl that looses control of her magic and called her a toad to her face," _Beth thought bitterly as she walked to the front of the room.

As soon as Beth reached the front of the room, Umbridge magically unlocked the chest. When the boggart formed into her greatest fear, she visibly tensed up and just stood there.

She didn't believer her eyes.

"_It's only a boggart. It's only a boggart," _Beth thought to herself. _"But why is it so __real__?"_

"No, it can't be…" Beth said softly.

She had started to shake uncontrollably and she dropped her wand to cover her mouth with her hand. She looked at Umbridge while a lone tear slid down her face. She turned around and ran out the classroom.

Everyone turned their heads to look at her bolt out the door, and then quickly turned back to look at what Beth's greatest fear was.

On the floor, dead, was George Weasley.

-x-

"_What class does George have? God, I should have remembered his class schedule,"_ Beth thought as she was running down the empty corridors, tears falling freely down her face.

As she got to the Portrait Hole, she didn't even have to say the password; the Fat Lady let her in.

"Beth?" a shocked Angelina said. "What's wrong?"

She just shook her head and ran up the girl's staircase, into the fifth year girl's dormitory. As soon as the door shut, she dashed towards her bed and tried to calm herself down.

"_Okay, Beth. Take deep breaths,"_ she thought. But when she took a deep breath, she had to choke back a sob. After a few minutes of not calming down, she quickly changed into a pair of pink pajama bottoms and an old Weird Sisters t-shirt.

Even after changing into her pajamas, she still couldn't calm down. She needed George now more than ever.

She stealthily walked down the staircase, and looked around the Common Room. Realizing it was empty; she ran towards the boy's staircase and entered the seventh year boy's dormitory.

She maneuvered her way towards George's bed and curled up into a tiny ball, wishing she could erase that memory from her.

-x-

George walked into the Common Room and noticed that Ron, Harry, and Hermione were sitting down in front of the fire.

"Where's Beth?" he asked as he smiled. The trio turned to look at him and he noticed their pale and somber faces. The smile turned into a frown. "What happened?"

"In DADA today, we were going over boggarts again. I don't know _why_, but we did. And Beth's boggart was," Ron's voice cracked. He just shook his head, not wanting to continue.

"It was you, George. You were d-dead," Hermione stuttered.

George paled, and didn't say anything.

"She's in your dorm, mate," Harry said. "Oh, and take this. She dropped it before she left the room." He handed Beth's wand to George.

George nodded and ran up to his dorm room.

-x-

She didn't know how long she was lying there, on George's bed, crying her eyes out. She vaguely heard the door open.

"Oh _Beth_," she heard someone say and then realized that it was George.

She was sitting in his lap, with George rubbing her back. After a while, she managed to calm down.

"It was so horrible, George," Beth whimpered.

"Don't worry about it, I'm here now," George whispered in her ear.

Beth eyes started getting heavier and she soon fell asleep. George looked down at her and noticed that she had fallen asleep in his arms.

-x-

"Whoa. I know you wanted her, but I didn't think you would manage to get her into _your_ bed. I mean, you're not even dating yet," Fred said jokingly as he entered the room.

George looked up at his twin and narrowed his eyes. "Shut it, you git. She finally just stopped crying."

The smirk that was on Fred's face quickly disappeared, "What happened?"

"Umbridge. They were covering boggarts today," George said angrily.

"That filthy, good for nothing toad. We're going to make her pay, mark my words," Fred said just as angrily.

"I'm skiving the rest of my classes. Tell Harry, Ron, and Hermione that Beth will be fine, and say as an excuse that she isn't feeling well," George said.

Fred nodded, but didn't leave yet.

"It was me," George said quietly.

"Come again?" Fred asked bewildered.

"Her boggart was a dead version of me," he said.

Fred looked at Beth in shock.

"Blimey, I never thought," Fred trailed off as he shook his head in disbelief. He realized that this basically revealed that Beth and George's feelings were mutual.

"I'll go let them know," Fred said quietly as he left the room.

-x-

Beth felt absolutely warm and cozy. She knew that she wasn't in her four-poster because it felt different. An assault of questions attacked her half-asleep brain. She tried to turn around to make herself more comfortable, but she couldn't.

Confused, she decided it wise to open her eyes. She found herself sleeping in George Weasley's bed. With George in it. They were also in a very…intimate position. She tried to move out of it, but then she noticed the peaceful look on George's face, and she just couldn't bring herself to wake him up.

Feeling drowsy again, she decided to stay where she was. She would wait until morning to ask questions. For now, she was going to savor the moment of having George as her personal furnace. She fell asleep, with a peaceful smile on her face.

Unknown to her, George had been awake the whole time.

-x-

The trio and Beth were all sitting in the Common Room late one night. They were waiting for Sirius to floo in response to Harry's letter. Harry was huddled in front of the radio while Beth read Pride and Prejudice. Ron was snoring loudly as he was sleeping in one of the arm chairs, and Hermione appeared to be studying for who knows what.

The fire roared to life, causing Beth to yelp and fall off the couch.

"Bloody hell, Sirius!" Beth winced.

"Oh, sorry Beth. I didn't mean to scare you. You _were_ expecting me after all," he said pointedly.

Beth muttered something along the lines of 'could have sent a warning'.

"But I did send you a warning. I told Harry," he said, obviously hearing her.

She just rolled her eyes in response. Hermione kicked Ron in the shin to wake him up.

Ron practically jumped three feet in the air.

"Wha? Where's the fire?" he asked groggily.

"Sirius!" Harry said, sounding truly happy to see his godfather.

Sirius beamed at his godson.

"Hello, Harry. You're last letter sounded quite serious, what's the problem?" he asked.

"It's Umbridge. She's not letting us use magic at all," Harry said bitterly.

"We're not learning to defend ourselves," Hermione added, stressing that fact.

"Sources say that Fudge doesn't want you trained in combat," Sirius whispered.

"Does he think we'll form some wizard army?" Ron asked, sounding puzzled.

"That's exactly what he thinks. Fudge believes that Dumbledore's forming an army to go against the Ministry."

"Nobody in their right mind would believe that." Beth said incredulously.

"Fudge isn't in his right mind. He's in denial, with all these missing cases...It was how it started last time," Sirius said grimly.

Then there was the sound of someone coming.

"Someone's coming. I'm sorry I can't be more helpful. It looks like you're on your own," And with that, he was gone.

Hermione started pacing. "We're not learning how to defend ourselves. We need a teacher," she said as she turned around and looked straight at Harry.

"What?" Harry asked. He was oblivious to what Hermione was hinting at.

-x-

"Um, hi," Hermione said. "You know why we're here. We need a proper teacher. One that can teach us how to defend ourselves."

"Why?" Zacharias Smith asked.

"Because You-Know-Who's back, you dolt," Beth said.

"That's what Harry says," he said.

"And that's what Dumbledore says," Hermione added.

"Because Dumbledore believes him," he said.

Ron and Beth looked like they were about to smack him senseless.

"Harry could tell us more about the night Cedric died," Zacharias said. He honestly didn't know how to shut up.

Both Beth and Ron got up from their seats and were about to pummel that selfish git into a pulp, but someone already beat them to it. Well, at least beat them by hitting him first.

David hit him in the back of the head. "Obviously, you have no manners. If you did, you would have kept your annoying mouth shut."

Beth had a 'yes-that's-my-younger-brother-and-I'm-proud-of-it' moment.

"Is it true that you can perform a full corpeal patronus?" Susan Bones asked. She chanced a glance at Ron, and he saw her smiling gratefully at her. She smiled back at him.

"Yes. I've seen it," Hermione answered for him.

Then various people mentioned all of Harry's accomplishments. Harry said that it sounded great when they said it, but he didn't know what he was doing half the time and he always had help. Beth couldn't help but notice that Cho looked like she wanted to launch herself at Harry and snog him senseless. Ugh.

-x-

"Dobby, you found the Room of Requirement," Hermione said in awe.

"Brilliant, Dobby!" Beth said as she gave him a hug.

"It's like Hogwarts wants us to fight back," Harry said.

-x-

"What are these for?" Ron asked as he looked at the fake galleon Hermione gave him.

"They'll tell you when the next DA meeting is. All Harry had to do is say a spell that will charm the galleons to say what time the next meeting is and then they'll vibrate to notify you that a date has been set up," Hermione explained.

"That's bloody amazing, 'Mione." Beth said in awe.

-x-

"I'd wipe that smirk off your face, if I were you," Beth said to George as they walked to the opposite ends of the room.

Both of them stood at each end of the room; waiting for one to make the first move.

"STUPEFY!" George yelled.

Moments before it would have hit her, Beth wordlessly placed a shield over herself and the spell rebounded back to George. Everyone turned to look at Beth as if she'd grown _five_ heads.

"What? All I did was cast the Protego charm," she said.

"But you said it wordlessly," David said.

"I…what?" Beth asked incredulously.

"You cast it without saying the words," David repeated.

"Oh. That'll definitely come in handy," she said, still in shock.

"Bloody hell," Fred said as he helped George up. "I know for a fact that I don't _ever_ want to be on the receiving end of any of her hexes."

* * *

**A/N: There's Chapter 9...What's your favorite part of this story so far? Feedback is appreciated. :)**


	10. Chapter 10: An Attack & Role Reversals

**Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling. I'm only having fun with her characters. :)

* * *

**_"Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up."  
-James A. Baldwin

* * *

_Chapter 10: An Attack, Role Reversals, Something Unexpected, and Serious Sirius

"Beth wake up," Ginny said as she shook her friend awake.

"Wha? What's going on?!" Beth said as she quickly sat up.

"Hurry up. Something's happened to Dad and we need to go to Dumbledore's office right now.

"Sweet Merlin! Why didn't you say that in the first place?" Beth said as she stumbled out of bed. She quickly slipped on her slippers and grabbed her robe to put on to cover her pajamas.

Soon they reached Dumbledore's office and were told that Harry had witnessed Mr. Weasley being attacked by a snake. Then he informed them they would be traveling by portkey. He didn't mention where, but Beth assumed they would be going to Headquarters. They went off in pairs- Beth and George; Fred and David; Ginny and Ron.

As soon as Beth let go of the portkey, she was being pulled into a bone crushing hug from Mrs. Weasley. After all of her children (yes, she considered Beth and David her children) had returned safely from Hogwarts, Mrs. Weasley started to pack a bag. She didn't know how long she was going to spend at St. Mungo's but it's better to be safe than sorry. After she gave hugs to everyone, even Sirius, she left to tend to her husband.

-x-

Their trunks filled with all of their clothing were sent to them only a half hour after they arrived. Ginny said that she was going to wrap all of the Christmas presents she bought since this will probably be the only time she'll be able to do it. Although Beth believed that she was only doing it now because Ginny hated waiting on the sidelines.

David and Ron fell asleep on the couch so they were sent to bed immediately.

"Up to bed, you two!" Beth said.

"Aw, we're not tired. We want to stay up longer," David said as he yawned.

Beth snorted. "I mean it. Up to bed. Now," she demanded.

"Bloody hell David, you're sister sounds like my mum," Ron grumbled as he left the room.

"I heard that Ron!" Beth said sternly, but the smile betrayed her feelings.

Sirius and Fred were comparing pranks they pulled on people.

"You managed to prank the Slytherins into doing the can-can during breakfast?" Fred asked in awe.

"Yep," Sirius said smugly.

"How'd you do it?" Fred asked.

"We got the house elves to spike their punch with a potion that Remus brewed. The house elves would do anything for James. Was quite handy," Sirius explained.

Fred just stared at the older man, completely speechless.

George was sitting on the floor, just staring straight into the fire that was roaring in the fireplace. It was quite odd that he wasn't discussing pranks with Sirius and Fred, but they dismissed it as the late hour and that fact that he was nervous about his dad.

Beth was now reading Mansfield Park and looked occasionally at George every now and then to see if he moved at all.

-x-

It was now after two o'clock and only Beth and George were still awake. George was still sitting on the floor, staring at the fire. Beth was still reading, but after reading the same paragraph over for the past ten minutes, she decided she was done with reading for the night. She closed the book, carefully marking the page and got off the couch to sit down next to George.

"George, are you okay?" Beth asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said. But Beth instantly knew that he was lying.

"George, don't lie to me. Something's bothering you. It feels better to talk it out than keep it to yourself," she said as she grabbed his hand.

"Look at me, for example. I used to be quiet and bookish. I _never_ got into fights and I never stood up for myself. Now, I've defied the Ministry's judgment, and I'm more loud and disruptive. Hell, most of that happened during the first two weeks of school. All because I bottled up my emotions," she said.

She stared into the dying fire.

"I'm scared, Beth," George said quietly after a few minutes of silence.

"I don't know what to do. I _want_ to fight; I want to get those bastards that hurt my dad. I also realized that if something happened to you...I wouldn't know what to do. I can't loose you Beth," his voice cracked and his eyes looked glassy.

Suddenly she was sitting in George's lap, and he buried his head in her hair. He needed her to comfort him; just like she had when she saw her boggart.

"It's okay, George, I'm not going anywhere," she said softly as she wrapped her arms around him.

Unknown to Beth and George, Sirius had witnessed the entire conversation between the two.

-x-

"David and Beth! Wanna help me put up the Christmas decorations?" Sirius asked, absolutely excited. Sirius loved Christmas.

"Yeah!" David said as he sprinted out the room to follow Sirius.

Beth rolled her eyes and laughed at their antics.

"I'd love to," Beth said as she **_walked_** out of the room.

-x-

"Sirius, don't you know any other songs besides _God Rest Ye Merry Hippogriffs_?" Beth asked, sounding exasperated.

"Well, I _could_ sing the _Twelve Days of Christmas,_" he replied cheekily.

Her eyes widened.

"On second thought, stick to the hippogriffs," Beth muttered.

"Yes ma'am!" Sirius saluted her.

_"Merlin, sometimes he still acts like he's seventeen,"_ Beth mused.

-x-

"Where are Fred and Hermione?" Sirius asked as he sat down on the couch.

"Oh, they're probably snogging each other senseless in some room," Beth said as she was flipping through a magazine.

"Fred and Hermione? How long have they been together?" Sirius asked, taken completely by surprise.

"Almost two months, I think. I really haven't been keeping track. Since Mum isn't here, they're probably trying to get as much snogging done as humanly possible," George said.

As Beth looked through the magazine, she noticed quite an interesting picture.

"Well, who would have thought," she mused aloud.

"Who would have thought what?" George asked as he looked over her shoulder to see what she was viewing.

"Blimey, is that?" he asked in disbelief.

"If you mean Katie Bell and Oliver Wood, then yes, it's them," Beth said.

"Huh, well, that's something unexpected," George mused as he sat down on the couch.

-x-

"Oh, hey Sirius. I wasn't expecting anybody to be up," Beth said as she walked into the basement kitchen.

"I think _no one_ expects anyone to be in the kitchen at _three_ in the morning," Sirius joked.

She smiled at him.

"Want some hot chocolate?" he asked.

"Yes, please," Beth sat down at the kitchen table.

"Thanks," she said as he handed her a cup.

"No problem. Why are you up this late anyways?" he asked.

"Bad dream," She simply stated before taking a small sip of the hot chocolate.

"It was about your boggart, wasn't it?" Sirius asked knowingly.

"How did you-"

"Molly told me about it. Well, she looked really flustered one day, and I asked her what was bothering her. Then she just kinda blurted it all out," he said apologetically.

"It's okay, I really don't mind," Beth said as she took a sip of her hot coco.

"Have you been having the nightmares frequently?" he asked.

"Well, I had them a lot right after it happened, but once I thought I wouldn't have them ever again- I do," she sighed.

"I know what you mean," he said softly.

"I keep telling myself that it wasn't real. But in my third year, my boggart was my parents' graves…And look what happened," Beth said bitterly.

"I can't loose him. I care too much about him," she said as she tried to prevent herself from breaking down in front of Sirius.

"Merlin's pants, I can't believe I haven't noticed it before. You love him, don't you?" Sirius asked.

Beth remained silent for awhile.

"I guess I do. If I didn't love him, then his death wouldn't be the thing I fear most," she said slowly.

"I never thought of it that way," Beth stared down at the table and laughed softly.

"I'll keep it a secret," Sirius said.

"Well, until you tell him," he added. "Then I'll take some of the credit for getting you two together," he mused.

She smiled at him, and traced the rim of her coffee mug.

"We're fighting back, you know," Beth said quietly.

"You are?" Sirius asked, somewhat confused as to what she was referring to.

"At school, we're fighting back against Umbridge," she added.

"I wish I could do more though," she said wistfully.

"Hey, you're doing the best you can. Whatever you're doing, it's probably the only option for you," Sirius assured her.

She smiled gratefully. The two were silent.

"Sirius, I never knew that you could be so…well, serious," Beth said finally.

"I have my moments," He grinned cheekily.

* * *

**A/N: That's Chapter 10! What's your favorite part? Feedback is appreciated! :)**


	11. Chapter 11: Disbelieving Bill

**Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling or Bryan Adams. I'm just having some fun. :)

* * *

**_"So I show appreciation for the little gifts that have been given to me."  
-Terrence Howard

* * *

_Chapter 11: Disbelieving Bill, Charlie being Tackled, Butchering Songs, and Christmas Day

"BILL!" Ginny and Beth yelled as they ran over to greet the eldest Weasley sibling.

Beth always thought of Bill, Charlie, and Percy as her older brothers. When she was scared; she'd go to Bill. When she wanted to have some fun; she'd go to Charlie. When she wanted to be read a story or had a question; she'd go to Percy.

"Hey squirts," Bill said as the two girls collided into him. "What have you been up to?" he asked them.

"Oh, you know. This and that," Beth said nonchalantly.

"Trying to maintain what's left of our sanity," Ginny added.

"You've only been doing that. I've lost my sanity _ages_ ago. I'm surprised you haven't either," Beth said jokingly.

Bill looked at the two of them, amused.

"Oh? And when did you loose your sanity?" Ginny asked.

"When I punched those guys," Beth said.

"Wait. You punched _who_?" Bill asked.

"Some Slytherins in my year," Beth said.

"Why?" he asked.

Beth shrugged. "They pissed me off."

Bill had a strange look on his face. It was a cross between amusement and disbelief.

"Blimey. I never knew you had it in you," Bill murmured.

"Oh that's just the beginning," Beth said.

"Oh?"

"I had a screaming match with a teacher, and called said teacher a toad to her face. Defied the Ministry's judgment, and lost control of my magic. And that was all in one day," Beth continued.

"How many detentions do you have?" Bill asked.

"A month with McGonagall. But I only used it as a study period," she said.

Bill was flabbergasted.

-x-

Bill was at the kitchen table, deep in conversation, with Remus and Mr. Weasley (fresh out of the hospital) when Charlie arrived.

"CHARLIE!" Both David and Beth said as they tackled him.

"Sorry Charlie," David said sheepishly as he got off of him.

Beth just smiled and got off of him. She held out her hand and he gladly took it. She helped pull Charlie up onto his own feet.

"Hey," Charlie said.

But before Charlie got to say anything more, he was being tackled by the twins.

"Charlie! Really spiffing to see you!" Fred said.

"Yes, really corking," George added.

"Is anyone else planning to tackle me?" he asked.

"Don't think so," George said sounding confused.

"How come no one tackled me?" Bill asked. He looked a little put out.

"Well, Bill. When you arrived-"Fred started.

"-We were having an important business meeting with-"George continued.

"-Our financial backer,"Fred said.

"Then, we decided-" said George.

"-That we would tackle the first person we saw-"continued Fred.

"-and that happened to be our dearest Charlie," George finished.

"Why? Do you _**want**_ to be tackled?" Fred asked mischievously.

"Because that _**can **_be arranged," George said.

"Oh no. That's not necessary," Bill said reassuringly, not liking the impish looks the twins were exchanging at the moment.

"Fred and George, don't you think you could get off of your brother? He must be very tired, and you two sitting on him isn't helping him at all," Remus finally spoke.

"Oh yeah," Fred said as he got off of Charlie.

"Sorry Charlie," George said.

"Thanks Remus," Charlie sat down at the table. He sighed in relief.

"No problem," Remus smiled.

Just then, Sirius walked into the kitchen singing really loud and off key.

"Standin' on your mama's porch, you told me that you'd wait forever. OH and when you held my hand, I knew that it was now or never. Those were the best days of my life," he sang. Then he noticed that everyone was looking at him.

"Oh. I thought no one was in here," he said.

"You know, that's a really good song, but you completely butchered it," Fred said.

"You have _no_ idea how many times he had butchered perfectly good songs," Remus said.

"HEY! My singing isn't _**that**_ bad!"

"Oh, but it is," Remus said. "I had to put up with your singing for _**years**_."

"How come you never told me?" Sirius asked.

"I did."

"Oh," Sirius said. He looked like he was trying to remember if Remus ever told him that he was a horrid singer.

Remus just rolled his eyes. He knew his friend too well.

-x-

Sirius Black woke up bright and early on the 25th of December. At the foot of his bed were presents-lots of presents. He grinned. He **loves** presents.

After opening most of his gifts, there was only one left. It was the biggest one of them all. He quickly tore off the wrapping paper and opened the box. Inside the box, was a scrapbook bounded in black leather. He opened it, and on the first page there was a note.

_Dearest Sirius,_

_When we (Hermione, Ginny, and I) were trying to figure out what we were going to get you for Christmas, we all realized that nothing means more to you than you family and friends. Now, you're probably thinking 'I hate my family', but au contraire, we know who your REAL family is- Harry and Tonks (she **is** your cousin after all). So Ginny thought of this brilliant idea. Why don't we make Sirius a scrapbook of all of us? And that's exactly what we did. Since you were uh…away most of Harry's life, we decided to put pictures of Harry growing up in the scrapbook. All of the pictures start when he's eleven, because from what Harry has told us, the Dursley's would **never** take any pictures of him. Anyways, we truly hope you enjoy this._

_Merry Christmas,_

_Beth, Hermione, Ginny_

Page after page, there were pictures of Harry. Harry after his first Quidditch game, Harry having tea with Hagrid, Harry holding his Firebolt, Harry after the First Task of the TriWizard Tournament, the list just goes on and on. Near the end, the pictures focused more on Sirius' best friends. The Marauders and Lily during their seventh year, James and Lily at their wedding were a few. The one that brought back a lot of memories was taken at James' and Lily's wedding. Lily was in her wedding gown, and Remus had his arm draped over her shoulder and he was kissing her on the cheek. James had his arms wrapped around her waist and he was kissing her on her other cheek. Sirius was kneeling on the ground, kissing Lily's hand. Peter _was_ in the picture, but it seemed like he had walked out of it.

"Slimy little rat," Sirius said bitterly as he thought of Peter.

The next picture was of Sirius sleeping on the floor, with James sleeping on the couch, his glasses askew, with baby Harry sleeping peacefully on his chest. Remus was poking Sirius in the arm and looked like he was shaking with laughter every time Sirius swatted his hand away.

"I don't remember taking that picture," Sirius said.

_"That's because you were asleep, you dolt,"_ the little voice in his head said.

On the last page, there was a picture of James, Lily, and Harry sitting on a park bench waving at the camera. Tears started to form in his eyes.

_"Merlin, how I miss them. It was so unfair. Why them?" _Sirius thought.

As he closed the book, he smiled. "This has to be the best present I've ever gotten."

-x-

George Weasley was rudely awakened by Fred jumping on his bed.

"Bloody Hell! George said.

"It's Christmas day, my dear twin! Now, I've got to terrorize- I mean wake up Ron, Harry, Charlie, and Bill," Fred said and with a pop, he was gone.

After opening several of his presents, he only had one left. He opened it, and found a mirror.

_"A **mirror**? What the hell?"_ he thought. Then he noticed that a note came with it.

_Georgie boy,_

_You're probably wondering 'A mirror? What the hell?' But this mirror is no ordinary mirror. Oh no. This is a two-way mirror. You say the name of the person you want to speak to, and then their face will appear. Then talk like it's going out of style! I also gave one to Fred and Hermione so you can talk to them as well. Enjoy!_

_Merry Christmas,_

_Beth_

George smiled. Now he could talk to Beth whenever he wanted to!

"Best present ever," George murmured as he lay back down. Then he heard someone yelling.

"BLOODY HELL FRED!" someone bellowed.

_"That sounded a lot like Bill,"_ George thought.

"JUST BECAUSE I MENTIONED YESTERDAY THAT I WASN'T TACKLED WHEN I ARRIVED, DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU **SHOULD BLOODY TACKLE ME!**"

_"Yep. That's definitely Bill,"_ George thought as he started to laugh.

"WELL, **HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU TOO!**" Fred retorted. There was a thud and a door slammed shut.

_"Bill just kicked Fred's arse!" _the thought caused George to burst into another fit of laughter.

-x-

Bethany Cooper woke up to find that the rooms two other occupants were missing.

_"Oh well. I guess I can open my presents alone,"_ she thought.

First, she opened the gift from Ginny. It was a picture frame with a picture of Ginny, Beth, and Hermione at the Yule Ball. Next, she opened her gift from Hermione. It was a huge stack of CD's that she could listen to with the CD player that Hermione gave her for her birthday. She got a knitted sweater from Mrs. Weasley, and Fred gave her some of their joke products. Then she opened her gift that was from David, Ron, and Harry. When she opened the box, there was a brand new pair of Pointe shoes. She quickly read through the note that was in the box.

_Beth,_

_When Ron and Harry came up to me and told me that they had no idea what they should get you for Christmas, an idea popped into my head. I remember you complaining about how your Pointe shoes were too small for your feet and that you would have to save up for a new pair. So I, being the perfect brother, decided to get you a new pair. So I asked Ron and Harry if they could pitch in. I really hope you enjoy them. Wait, I **know** you'll enjoy them. Happy Christmas!_

_Your perfect brother,_

_David_

"He **is** the perfect brother," Beth mumbled. She gently set the box onto the floor next to her nightstand. She only had one present left to open and it was the biggest one of them all. She tore off the wrapping paper and took the top off. There was a small note lying on top of the tissue paper.

_I knew you were lying when you said it was only a dress._

_-George_

She gasped.

"He didn't," she said as she slowly parted the tissue paper.

"HE DID!!" Beth shrieked as she pulled out the galaxy blue dress that she fell in love with that Hogsmeade trip months ago.

She did something that any girl would do in her situation. She screamed in delight.

-x-

Now everyone thinking that someone was in trouble ran to the source of the scream. Except all they saw was Beth holding a blue dress and jumping up and down.

"Bloody hell! We thought you were in trouble or something!" Ron said.

Beth completely ignored him and spotted the person she wanted to see-George. She tossed the dress onto her bed and ran towards George.

"GEORGE WEASLEY! YOU'RE MY FAVORITE PERSON EVER!" she said as she tackled him.

"So you like it?" George asked.

"Like it? I LOVE IT!!!"

* * *

**A/N: Sooo, here's chapter 11! As always, let me know what's your favorite part of the story and feedback is appreciated. :)**


	12. Chapter 12: New Year's Eve & Back to Sch

**Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling. I'm just having fun with her characters. :)  
Here's the Chapter you've been all waiting for! ;)

* * *

**_"And New Year's Eve is very, very important to me."  
-Debbie Harry

* * *

_Chapter 12: New Year's Eve and Back to School

It was New Years Eve, and Mrs. Weasley decided to have a party for the Order members, to help boost morale. Beth decided to wear her '_Little Blue Dress_'. Ginny was wearing dark green dress with two toned trim, an empire waist, and a full skirt. **(A/N: Dress pic on my profile page)** The dress was her Christmas gift from Bill and Charlie. Hermione was wearing a black one shoulder dress with a waist defining band and an easy drape skirt. **(A/N: Dress pic on profile page)** It was her Christmas gift from Fred.

"Well, at least Mum won't have a heart attack when she sees me wearing this," Ginny said.

"You've got to remember, _Bill and Charlie_ bought it for you. I wouldn't expect them to get you a dress that was practically nothing," Hermione said.

"Good point. I do have to say, they know how to pick out a dress," Ginny said sounding impressed as she looked down at her dress.

"What's the worst that could happen?" She asked.

"The worst thing your Mum could do is burst into tears saying how 'grown up her baby looks'," Beth said as they were walked out of their bedroom.

-x-

"OH Ginny! My baby's all grown up!" Mrs. Weasley bursted into tears and pulled Ginny into a bone-crushing hug.

"Erm, Mum. You're ruining my dress!" Ginny managed to choke out.

"Oh sorry, dear," she said as she let go of her and started to fuss over Ginny's dress.

"How'd you know she was going to say that?" Hermione asked Beth.

Beth shrugged. "Once you know Mrs. Weasley for as long as I have, you know what she'll do. Most of the time, at least," She explained.

"Wotcher, girls," Tonks said as she walked over to them.

"Hey Tonks!" The girls said in unison.

"Just to let you know, Hermione. Fred is looking at you and he's drooling," Tonks said as she winked at her.

Hermione blushed, but didn't bother moving.

"Put the boy out of his misery and go over to him!" Beth said.

Once Hermione was out of ear-shot, Tonks spoke to her.

"So how are you holding up, Beth?" Tonks asked.

"I'm doing well. I've been causing chaos at school. I think Sirius has informed you about that," Beth said.

Tonks nodded in reply. "I've also heard that you're falling for a certain red-headed twin."

"How did you- Who told you THAT?!" Beth panicked.

"Wait, I was right? I completely guessed on that," Tonks said as she raised her hands up defensively.

"Oh. Is it that obvious?" Beth's face paled.

"No," Tonks chuckled. "Remember I'm an Auror, I'm supposed to notice the little things."

"Oh. Right," the younger girl said with a sigh of relief.

"So what are you going to do about it?" Tonks asked bluntly.

"Do what?"

"Are you going to make a move on George or something?" Tonks explained.

"Oh, I haven't really thought about it. I mean, I don't even know if he likes me back. I don't think I could take that kind of rejection. I wouldn't want to ruin our friendship," Beth said.

"Well, you don't have to be an Auror to figure out that George likes you back. Just by the way he looks at you shows it. As a matter of fact, he's looking at you right now."

Beth spotted George and saw that he was indeed, staring at her. After a couple of seconds, he noticed that she was watching him, and he quickly turned away, blushing.

"Hm, I guess you're right," Beth murmured to herself.

-x-

**"TEN…"**

Bill and Charlie were sitting on a couch sipping their butterbeers.

"Nice party," Charlie drawled.

Bill just nodded slowly.

**"NINE…"**

George was looking for Beth. As he spotted her, he quickly walked over to her.

**"EIGHT…"**

"George, what are you doing?" Beth couldn't help but laugh at the excited look on George's face.

**"SEVEN…"**

George smiled. Beth felt herself melt right there on the spot.

"I want to start the New Year with a bang, you know?" he said.

She just nodded in reply.

**"SIX…"**

As George leaned in, her eyes fluttered closed. As their lips met, it felt as if fireworks had gone off in her head.

She stood on her tip-toes so she could wrap her arms around his neck.

**"FIVE…"**

Bill and Charlie both were staring at the scene before them, their mouths hanging open.

Sirius sat down in between them. "Obviously, you two just realized that Beth is no longer a little girl."

**"FOUR…"**

"It seems just like yesterday I was yelling at Fred and George for blowing up her doll," Bill said, still shocked.

"It seems like yesterday I was just teaching her how to ride a broom," Charlie muttered to himself.

**"THREE…"**

"I always thought she would end up with Ron," Bill said.

"Ron's dating Susan Bones," Sirius interjected, but the two brothers didn't listen.

"Nah, I thought Ron would end up with Hermione," Charlie said.

"Hermione is dating Fred," Sirius gestured towards the snogging couple.

"How come we didn't know about that?" Charlie asked, in complete shock for being so out of the loop.

Sirius just shrugged.

**"TWO…"**

As they broke the kiss, they were panting for breath.

"Would you be my girlfriend?" George asked.

Beth didn't need to say any words. She just kissed him again.

**"ONE…"**

Mrs. Weasley had tears in her eyes. She already was planning their wedding. She wasn't going to tell anyone that though.

Mr. Weasley looked at his wife. "Molly, you're getting ahead of yourself. They aren't even out of school yet."

_"Damn. He knows me too well,"_ Molly thought.

**"HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!"**

Molly noticed that Fred and Hermione were snogging the brains out of each other.

_"I get to plan **two** weddings!" _She thought happily.

-x-

"It's good to be back," Beth said as she plopped down onto the couch in the Common Room.

"Tell me about it," George said as he fell onto the floor, completely tired.

Beth was staring into space when she noticed that Katie Bell was walking by.

"KATIE!" she said a little too loud. "Had a nice holiday?" she asked as she quickly got up from the couch.

"It was amazing!" Katie said.

Beth turned around and saw Alicia and Angelina walking in.

"Alicia! Angie! Come here!" Beth said as she beckoned them over.

"What's wrong Beth?" Alicia asked, instantly going into 'protective-friend-mode'.

"Oh nothing's wrong. I just wanted you two to hear what I'm going to ask Katie," she said.

"Okay," Angelina said warily.

"So Katie, over break I was going through a magazine, and I saw the most _interesting_ article," she said.

"Yeah," Katie said wary of the way this conversation was going.

"It was about you and a certain someone who just happens to be the star keeper of Puddlemore United," she trailed off.

Alicia looked at Katie with wide eyes. "You and Oliver?" she asked.

Katie just nodded in reply. All three of them squealed in delight.

"How long have you been dating?" Angie asked.

"Since summer," Katie said quietly.

"THAT LONG?!" Alicia shrieked.

"How come you never told us?" Angie asked, sounding a little hurt.

"Oliver wanted to keep it a secret for a while. He was after all, one of Quidditch's most eligible bachelors," Katie explained.

"I get what you're saying, Katie," Beth said.

"So did you get anything exciting for Christmas, Beth?" Angie asked.

"Oh, yes I did. I got this most _amazing_ dress," Beth gushed. "I'll show it to you girls later."

"Who'd you get it from?" Alicia asked excitedly.

"George. That reminds me. Excuse me for a moment," Beth said as she walked towards George.

Katie, Angelina, and Alicia all curiously watched her as she stood in front of George. They couldn't hear what she said, but suddenly they saw Beth kiss George full on the mouth.

Beth pulled away and shot them a sheepish grin. She slowly made her way towards the trio.

"Beth, would you care to explain?" Angelina said. It was more of a statement than a question.

"Well, George and I are dating," Beth drawled.

"Hah! You **_both_** owe me two galleons!" Alicia said triumphantly.

"WHAT?! You were betting on when George and I got together?!" Beth yelled.

The three girls each gave her a sheepish grin.

Beth rolled her eyes and said "Honestly."

"Anyways, spill it. How'd you get together?" Alicia asked.

"It was during the countdown for the New Year. He just grabbed me and kissed me. Then he asked me if I would be his girlfriend…And here we are," Beth said.

"Awww," all three girls said simultaneously.

"So anyways, Katie did you stay at Oliver's flat during break?" Beth asked.

Katie blushed bright red.

"Yes," she squeaked.

"OH! Tell us more!" Alicia said excitedly.

-x-

"George, did you know that people were betting on when we would get together?" Beth asked as she sat down next to George after she finished talking with the three older Gryffindor girls.

"No," George said as he wrapped his arm around Beth.

"Alicia won the bet," she stated as she snuggled closer towards George.

"Is that right?" he asked as he placed his head on top of her head.

"But I did learn something surprising," she said as she closed her eyes.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Katie's really good at keeping secrets," she mumbled.

"And why's that surprising?" he asked.

"She has been dating Oliver since summer, and no one knew about it until now."

"Are you serious?"George asked.

"No, that's Harry's godfather," she said sleepily.

George just rolled his eyes. He noticed that she was starting to fall asleep.

"Up to bed, sleepy head," George said as he extracted himself from Beth.

She groaned from the loss of contact. "Fine, good night George," she said as she gave George a kiss.

* * *

**A/N: I hope I didn't disappoint! Tell me your favorite part & Feedback is appreciated! :D**


	13. Chapter 13: Quidditch Pitch Wedding

**Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling. I'm just having some fun with her characters. :)**

* * *

_"Sometimes I bust out and do things so permanent. Like tattoos and marriage."  
-Drew Barrymore

* * *

_Chapter 13: Quidditch Pitch Wedding and a Tattoo or Two

Beth walked into the Common Room and saw Katie, Angelina, and Alicia sitting on the floor looking through what appeared to be bridal magazines.

"Whoa. Who's getting married?" Beth asked as she joined the girls on the floor.

"No one. We just like looking at the dresses," Alicia said as she flipped through a magazine.

Angelina passed her a magazine, and started to look through the thick magazine.

"So where would you think you'd like to get married?" Alicia asked.

"I'd love to get married at a beach," Katie said.

"If it was Oliver's choice, he'd want to get married at a Quidditch pitch," Beth said jokingly.

"Ah, I can see it now," Angelina said dramatically.

"The bridesmaids' dresses would be blue in support of Puddlemore," Alicia said airily.

"As you walked down the aisle, the Puddlemore theme song would play," Beth joked.

"At the reception, snitches would be flying around the tent," Angelina added.

"The little figurines on the cake would be wearing Quidditch robes," Alicia said.

"Then once it was over, you two would hop on a broom and fly towards the sunset," Beth finished.

"Is that it?" Katie asked, somewhat amused and annoyed with them.

"No. Then you and Oliver would have seven kids so then he can have his own Quidditch team," Alicia added.

"So where would you get married, Beth?" Katie asked quickly changing the subject.

"Probably at the Burrow," she shrugged.

"Do you think the twins would want to have a double wedding?" Angie mused.

"I honestly don't know. I don't want to have a double wedding," Beth said, looking up from her magazine.

"Why not?" Alicia asked.

"I don't know, this might sound very selfish, but I wouldn't want to share that day with anyone else. Besides, the twins don't have to do _everything _together," Beth explained.

"That actually makes a lot of sense," Angie said.

Just then, Lee and George walked in.

"Hey girls, what are you doing?" Lee asked.

"Discussing what our weddings would be like," Angie said as she gestured towards the several piles of bridal magazines.

"We've established that Katie's wedding would be Quidditch themed," Beth added.

"And that Beth wouldn't like having a double wedding," Alicia interjected.

"I wouldn't want to have a double wedding, either," George said.

"Why not?" Lee asked.

George just shrugged. "I dunno. When you have a twin, you do everything together. I wouldn't want to have the same wedding anniversary as Fred," he said.

Lee nodded in response, and the girls continued back to their dream weddings.

"Hey George, wanna go to the kitchens with me?" Lee asked.

"Yeah, sure," He said.

"He's a keeper," Angelina said after the two boys left.

"No, that's Oliver. George's a beater," Beth joked. She perfectly knew what Angie was talking about.

Angie rolled her eyes. "You know what I meant," she said.

"Yeah, I know," Beth sighed.

"He talked about getting married, and he didn't even freak out," Alicia said.

"Well, obviously he wants to get married at some point," Katie stated.

"Yeah," Beth sighed again. She wasn't really paying attention anymore.

-x-

"George, have you ever wanted a tattoo?" Beth asked as they were sitting on the couch in the Common Room.

"Yeah. I've always wanted one, but I can never decide on a design, though. Plus, Mum would kill me if she found out that I had one," he said.

Beth smiled impishly at him, "All the more reason for you to get one."

George just shrugged. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I want to get one," she explained.

"You want to get a tattoo?" he asked surprised.

"Yeah. My dad always said he'd take me to get a tattoo once I'm seventeen. But since he can't take me, I'm still gonna do it. Even if I have to go alone," she said determinedly.

"I'll go with you," George said instantly.

"Really?" Beth asked.

"Yeah. We could get our tattoos together," he said.

Beth quickly got up from the couch.

"So I was kinda thinking about getting it on the left side of my lower back," she said as she pointed to her lower back.

George stood up and wrapped his arms around her waist. "That sounds good."

"What design were you planning on having?" he asked as he buried his face into her hair.

"I saw this design once of a lizard looking at a butterfly. It was really cute," she said.

"Ah," he said as he assaulted her neck.

"Only two more years," she sighed. "Two years seems like an eternity."

"Before you know it, we'll be getting those tattoos," George said.

"Yeah," Beth said. She let out a groan as he kissed her sensitive spot behind her ear. She quickly turned around in his arms to face him.

"George, don't you think we could go somewhere a bit more private?" Beth gasped.

"Why?" he asked still kissing her and completely oblivious to the fact they were in the Common Room.

"We're in the Common Room!" she said.

He stopped what he was doing and looked around to confirm that he was, indeed, in the Common Room.

"Oh. Yeah, sure," he said quickly as he led Beth out of the Common Room.

Just then Hermione and Fred walked in, both looking much disheveled. Beth noticed that there was something on Hermione's neck.

"Where are you two going?" Fred asked.

"Going somewhere else to snog," George said bluntly.

Just as they were walking out, Beth turned around. "Hermione?" she called.

"Yeah?" Hermione asked, still somewhat distracted.

"That's a lovely love bite you got on your neck," Beth deadpanned.

As the couple walked out of the Portrait Hole, they heard Hermione gasp.

-x-

The two had been walking around for some time, snogging occasionally. They were now walking around in an empty corridor.

"Beth, what's your favorite color?" George suddenly asked.

"Wow, that isn't _random_ at all," Beth said sarcastically.

"Yeah, it was. But I just realized that I never asked you what your favorite color is," he said.

"Blue and purple," she stated.

"That's two," he pointed out.

"But I love both of those colors and I can't decide which one I like better. Anyways, what's your favorite color?" she asked.

"Blue," he said instantly.

"Very nice," she said, approving of his color choice.

"What's your favorite flower?" he asked.

"Daisies."

They walked in silence for awhile until Beth thought she heard a noise.

Beth stopped walking. "Did you hear that?" she whispered.

"No," he whispered back, but he heard something that sounded like high heels.

"IT'S UMBRIDGE!" Beth whispered furiously. She looked at George. "We need to get out of here!"

George looked around and saw a tapestry. He grabbed Beth's hand and pulled her into the secret passageway that was behind it.

Sure enough, it was none other than the toad herself. "Filthy half-breeds," Umbridge muttered. "Once Dumbledore's gone, I'll get rid of them!"

After waiting longer than necessary, they walked out of the passageway.

"What did she mean _'once Dumbledore's gone_'?" Beth asked warily.

"I don't know, but it doesn't sound good," George said grimly.

* * *

**A/N: DUN DUN DUN!!! Well, I have been trying to follow Book 5 as best as possible, so you probably know what will happen to Dumbly. :) As always, tell me your favorite part and feedback is appreciated!**


	14. Chapter 14: Caught in the Act

**Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling. Just having some fun.

* * *

**_"Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold."  
-Helen Keller_

* * *

Chapter 14: Caught in the Act, On the Run, and Career Paths

"Think of a memory that is the happiest for you," Harry said to all of the members of the DA.

Beth closed her eyes and started to think.

"_My happiest memory? Dancing in the rain with George? No…Getting that dress for Christmas? No…Kissing George for the first time? I think that'll work,"_ Beth thought as a small smile played on her lips.

She opened her eyes.

"_Expecto Patronum_," she said firmly.

Some silvery mist came out of her wand and formed into a cheetah. She gasped as she stared at it wide-eyed. Everyone turned to see who was gasping. They saw a cheetah nudging Beth in the leg. She looked down, and once she realized it was solid, she started to scratch behind its ear. It instantly started to purr. She couldn't help but let out a giggle.

It felt like she was being watched, so she slowly looked up from her patronus and saw everyone looking at her. She instantly started to blush and then she heard a faint pop. She quickly looked back down and noticed that her patronus disappeared. She felt slightly put off at this.

Harry had a proud grin plastered to his face. "That must have been one happy memory," he said as he draped his arm around her shoulder.

Beth couldn't help but notice the look of pure rage emanating from Cho.

"_Possessive, much?"_ Beth thought as she arched an eyebrow in Cho's direction.

"Yeah, it was," Beth trailed off with a small smile.

"_More like pure bliss,"_ she thought.

She looked at George, and he gave her a knowing smile. She quickly looked away, blushing. _"Oh god. He knows that I was thinking about him," _she thought.

Everyone else continued to work on their patroni as soon as the buzz died down.

When Fred and George cast the patronus spell, their patroni were foxes.

The meeting was almost over when Dobby came walking in. Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and stood still.

"Dobby what's wrong?" Harry asked.

After a couple minutes of trying to hurt himself and explain what was wrong, Dobby finally managed to say that Umbridge was coming.

"Shite," Beth muttered as she quickly walked towards George and grabbed his hand.

"RUN!" Harry said.

Everyone quickly ran out of the Room of Requirement o find some cover. George and Beth ran hand in hand and as soon as they saw the nearest secret passageway, they ran into it.

"Bloody hell!" Beth said as she tried to catch her breath.

"I hope no one got caught," George said who was breathing heavily.

"Yeah," Beth said in agreement.

After their breathing returned to normal, they realized that they wouldn't know if it was safe or not to leave. Knowing that they were probably going to spend a lot of time here, Beth started a conversation.

"So what was your happy memory that you used for your patronus?" she asked.

"What was yours?" he asked right back.

"I asked first," Beth said as she stuck her tongue out at him playfully.

"Well, it was, um, when we kissed during New Years," George said. Even though it was dark, Beth could tell that he was blushing.

Beth let out a laugh.

"What's so funny about that?" George asked sounding hurt.

"I find it funny that we used the same memory," she said as she smiled at George.

He smiled back.

They were both silent for awhile.

"So," Beth said as she leaned against the cold stone wall.

"So?" George asked.

"What do we do now?" she asked, although she had already planned what they were going to do.

"Well," George said as he came closer to her. "There is one thing we could do."

"Oh? And what's that?" Beth played along as she started to play with his tie.

As Beth looked up at George, his lips crashed into hers. She smiled into the kiss.

Once they broke the kiss, George noticed the not-so-innocent smirk on Beth's face.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" he said accusingly.

"Do what on purpose?" she asked innocently.

"Oh come off it! You did that on-"

"George?"

"What?"

"Shut up and kiss me."

And he did just that.

-x-

Harry walked into the Common Room feeling horrible. Dumbledore had taken the blame for everything, and it wasn't even his fault. It was all Harry's fault.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asked.

Harry sat down on the couch and sighed. "He's gone."

"Who's gone?" Ron asked.

"Dumbledore," Harry said.

Just then George and Beth walked through the Portrait Hole. They both noticed all of the shocked faces, so they immediately joined them.

"Where have you two been?" David whispered.

"We ran into a secret passageway to hide in and we didn't know when it would be safe to leave it," Beth whispered back.

David nodded in reply.

"What's wrong?" George asked.

"Dumbledore's gone," Ron mumbled.

"What do you mean he's gone?" Beth asked.

"Someone told Umbridge about the DA and her minions caught me and took me to Dumbledore's office. Fudge was there and so was Kingsley. They were blaming me for having an illegal organization that would up rise against the Ministry. Then Dumbledore said it was all his idea and that I was just doing what I was told. Then they were going to arrest him, but then Fawkes came in and then they both disappeared," Harry explained.

"Who's the sneak?" Fred asked.

"Marietta Edgecombe," Harry simply said.

Ginny gasped. "You mean Cho's friend?"

He nodded grimly.

"Now that Dumbledore's gone," Hermione said.

"Umbridge is going to be headmistress," Ron said.

"Oh no," Beth said. "She's going to torture us in even more gruesome ways."

Everyone shuddered at the thought of what Umbridge could do as punishment.

"It's not safe here anymore," Ginny murmured.

Everyone was stunned into silence as that thought smacked them in the face.

_"It's not safe anymore," _Beth thought. _"We won't be allowed to do anything anymore. Just walking to our next class will be torture. Umbridge's minions will take off points from us for being a Gryffindor. Oh Merlin, how could this have happened?"_

"Well, we're going to continue pranking," George said as he broke the silence.

"But this time, they're all meant to make Umbridge frazzled," Fred added.

"Yes, there are some products that we still haven't tried out yet," George said as the mischievous glint appeared in his eyes.

"I believe so. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Fred asked as a mischievous grin was now plastered to his face.

"Oh, I do believe so, dear twin of mine," George said impishly.

"Then Umbridge won't know what hit her," Fred said.

Everyone else was just staring at them dumbfounded. They simply couldn't understand the way Fred and George thought. While they were thinking about that mind boggling topic, the devious twins set off towards an empty corner of the Common Room. Without a doubt they were planning something.

"Beth, have any jobs tickled your fancy yet?" Hermione said.

"Oh, well, I-"Beth started.

"You'd be an amazing Auror," Harry said.

"Thanks, Harry. But I really don't think I'd want to be an Auror," Beth said.

"Why not?" Ron asked.

"I think I want to be a journalist. I'd love to be out in the field gathering information," Beth said.

"I'd hate to rain on your parade, but what if Lord Voldemort is still out there by the time we graduate? The _Prophet_ is already corrupt," Hermione said.

Beth sighed. "That's the only thing that's in my way of achieving my dream. If he's still around by then, I'll probably just work for the Order and when the bloody bastard is gone, I'll write," Beth said determinedly.

"Sounds like a plan," Ron said.

"That'll be easy enough to explain to McGonagall when you're discussing your career with her," Ginny said.

"That's what I hope it will be," Beth said as she gazed at the fire in the fireplace.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Feedback is always appreciated!**


	15. Chapter 15: Planning Your Future & Exit

**Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling. I'm just having some fun.

* * *

**_"Few men of action have been able to make a graceful exit at the appropriate time."  
-Malcolm Muggeridge

* * *

_Chapter 15: Planning Your Future & Exit, Stage Right

Hermione and Bethany were both looking at their boyfriends, who were huddled together, whispering to each other. They were planning something, again, without a doubt. They had been since the swamp prank, which had only been hours before.

"They're planning something," Beth said uneasily.

"They're probably planning another prank to pull on Umbridge," Hermione said.

Beth turned to look at her best friend. "I don't think it's just a prank, Hermione. When was the last time you remember them talking to no one else besides themselves for this long?" she asked.

Hermione opened her mouth to reply, but then closed it.

"Exactly. Even though he's right there, I miss him. That must sound pathetic. But, this has also made me realize something really important," Beth said.

"What did you realize?" Hermione asked, genuinely interested.

"That I'm in love with him. It seems like everyday I find more reasons to fall in love with him all over again if that's even possible. I haven't told him yet because I'm scared. What if he doesn't love me back?" Beth whispered.

The two girls were silent for awhile.

"Is it pathetic that I feel a little depressed at every meal because Fred doesn't hold my hand under the table anymore?" Hermione asked.

"Why, Miss Granger, I do believe that you have fallen madly in love with Mr. Fred Weasley," Beth said with a smile.

The look Hermione had on her face showed that she had never thought about it like that until now. "I can't believe I didn't realize it earlier."

"When are you going to tell him?" Beth asked.

"I-I don't know." Hermione said. "When are you going to tell George?"

Beth just shrugged in reply.

-x-

**(Beth's Point of View)**

I walked to McGonagall's office five minutes early. There was no way that I was going to be late for this. I knocked on the door, and entered when McGonagall said enter. I remember that there had been a rumor going around that Umbridge might attend some of these meetings, so I decided to arrive early.

"Hello Professor, Headmistress," I said as I closed the door. I was going to be on my best behavior today, just to spite Umbridge.

"Please have a seat, Miss Cooper," Professor McGonagall said as she gestured towards one of the seats in front of her desk.

"Thank you."

"Miss Cooper, you are five minutes early," Umbridge said as she arched an eyebrow.

"Oh! I was just really anxious to get here," I said honestly.

"Well, let's move on, shall we? So what are you thinking of doing, Miss Cooper?" McGonagall asked.

"Well, I've always thought that I could work for some newspaper or magazine. I've been interested in journalism for quite some time," I said.

"Miss Cooper, you must have a second option," Umbridge said.

I was about to open my mouth to say that I would work for the Order, but I quickly remembered who I was talking to.

"I thought you were going to say something like that. Then I was thinking that I would work for the Weasley twins when they open their joke shop," I said, making that option up since I hadn't thought of a second option.

"What would you do for them?" McGonagall asked.

"Advertising. Marketing. Something to that effect," I said. I'm quite impressed with myself, since I also made that up on the spot.

"So you are confident that they will be successful?" Umbridge said.

"Yes, I'm one hundred percent confident," I said firmly, starting to get annoyed with Quidditch.

"But what if they should fail?"

I sighed. "Then I guess I could have a shot at Quidditch."

The two older women were both silent.

"B-but, you aren't on the team," Umbridge sputtered

"Then I'll try out next year," I said.

"Which position?" McGonagall asked.

"Beater."

McGonagall smiled. "Was the Weasley twins responsible for teaching you?"

"Actually, no. Well, it was a Weasley. Charlie to be exact," I said.

Now McGonagall was beaming. "Then without a doubt you will make an excellent beater."

"I do believe that we are finished here. You may go, Miss Cooper," McGonagall said.

I smiled. "Thanks again."

As I closed the door, I decided that I would skip the rest of my classes today. Besides, it really wouldn't matter that much when you have Hermione as your best friend. I can just ask her for her notes.

-x-

I was walking into the Entrance Hall when I saw a huge crowd gathering. I slowly pushed my way through the crowd and made my way to the front. Fred and George were there looking like they were being cornered. In the midst of the crowd, I vaguely heard Umbridge mentioning the swamp, and Filch happily saying the words 'finally' and 'whipping' repeatedly.

_"Oh god. This is probably their prank,"_ I thought as my book bag dropped to the floor.

Now they had just accioed their brooms, and what I'm assuming would be the next part of their prank. George spotted me and ran towards me.

"George, what's going o-"I started to say, but was cut off by him kissing me.

The kiss was full of passion and something else I couldn't recognize. Even though it was short, it was probably the most mind-blowing kiss I have ever received.

He gave me the smile that was only meant for me; the one that makes me melt. I was still melted to the spot when he quickly ran off and mounted his broom. Once I finally snapped out of it, they were flying off into the sunset.

I just stood there, shell-shocked, until someone nudged me in the shoulder.

"He didn't tell you, did he?" Lee asked as he draped his arm over my shoulder.

"No," I croaked.

"Come on; let's go back to the Common Room," Lee said as he led me back towards the Common Room.

-x-

"You know, they would have left anyways," Ron said as he looked at Beth and Hermione.

Hermione, who had been silent for most of the night, looked like she was going to yell her head off at Ron. But before she did, Beth beat her to it.

"NO REALLY, I NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT! I THINK WE WERE EXPECTING THEM TO LEAVE AT THE END OF THE YEAR-WHEN THEY FREAKING GRADUATED!" Beth yelled as she stormed off to her dorm.

"Honestly Ronald! You are the most insensitive git I've ever had the displeasure to meet!" Hermione yelled as she followed Beth.

-x-

**(Hermione's Point of View)**

I found Beth sitting on her bed, trying to calm herself down. I was surprised that she hadn't broken down yet. Hell, I'm surprised I haven't either.

"He's a git," I said as I sat down next to her.

Beth just nodded fiercely in reply.

"When I said that this wasn't going to be just any prank, I thought that they were going to get themselves expelled or something. Not them leaving us," Beth whispered.

I just nodded. "You know, that I'm thinking about it, Ron was right. They were going to be leaving soon."

"Yeah, I know. I was expecting there to be a more conventional good-bye. You know, with us saying good-bye at the train station. Not saying good-bye while he's riding his broom to freedom," Beth said bitterly.

"Since when have the twins ever been conventional?" I asked. She smiled a little.

We both remained quiet, the events of the last couple of hours mulling over in our heads.

"We really didn't even say good-bye. It was just a kiss and a smile and me being utterly confused," Beth said.

"Just a kiss?" I asked with an arched eyebrow. When ever has Beth referred to a kiss as 'just'?

She sighed as she lay down. "It was the most mind-blowing kiss I've ever received in my life," she said.

"Did you tell him?" I asked.

"No. All I managed to get out was 'George what's going on' and then I was in a daze," she said. "Did you tell Fred?"

I shook my head in reply. "No. He had already mounted his broom after he had kissed me. I was still trying to think straight."

Then Ginny came in and joined us on the bed.

"Hey, are you guys alright?" she asked.

We both nodded our heads in reply.

"It still hasn't really hit me yet," I said honestly.

"Did you know that Cho and Harry broke up?" Ginny said.

"No, do tell," Beth said, probably trying to get her mind off of George.

"Well, Cho was angry that her 'friend' Marietta still had the word 'SNEAK' all over her face, and that she demanded Harry to take them off. But Harry told her that he wasn't the one who did that, so he couldn't take it off even if he wanted to."

"Then Cho started blaming him for being a bad boyfriend, and then Harry said something along the lines of 'how can I be a bad boyfriend when you're crying all the bloody time!' Of course, Cho started to cry. Then Harry said they were over," Ginny said rapidly.

"Wow," I said, trying to absorb all of that.

"And guess what Cho's comeback was after that?" Ginny said.

"What?" Beth asked.

"That Harry was a bad kisser anyways," the younger girl said.

"Harry isn't a bad kisser!" Beth said.

"And how would _you_ know that?" I asked.

Beth started to blush. "Well, in third year, Harry, Ron, and I played truth or dare with all of the fifth years and Oliver was there too. Fred kinda dared me to kiss Harry. And I'm _so_ sorry Ginny, but if it makes you feel any better, I also kissed Ron, Lee, and Oliver," Beth said.

"Its okay, Beth. I wouldn't make you turn down a dare. Especially when Fred dared you to do it," Ginny said truthfully.

"How come I wasn't there?" I asked. I felt a little left out. I would have killed to kiss Oliver, but what girl _wouldn't_?

"You were drowning yourself in homework at the library," Beth stated simply.

"Oh," I said, instantly hating myself for locking myself up in the library that whole year.

"You know, when I kissed George for the first time, I felt completely safe. Like nothing would get to me because George would protect me from it. I felt like I was home, but now that George is gone," Beth trailed off.

"You feel completely vulnerable?" I said. Wow, that was how I felt completely. I felt tears start to well in my eyes.

Beth just nodded her head in reply, looking like she was about to cry too.

That was when it hit me. Fred was gone. He wasn't here to cheer me up after having a bad day. I was alone. I couldn't hold it in anymore; I broke down and shortly after Beth broke down too.

I feel really bad for Ginny. She looks like she doesn't know what to do, and I can't blame her. The love of her life didn't just fly away into the sunset to open his joke shop. Oh no, the love of Ginny's life was a raven haired boy with emerald green eyes that just broke up with his girlfriend. And I'm a bushy haired brunette that isn't going to get much sleep until I see Fred Weasley again.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you like the different POVs. As always, feedback is appreciated. :D**


	16. Chapter 16: Bent Out of Shape

**Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling. I'm just having some fun.

* * *

**_"You are committed to what you confess."  
-Edwin Louis Cole

* * *

_Chapter 16: Bent Out of Shape, Mysteries, and Yelling

Hermione and Beth both walked into the Great Hall the next morning looking miserable. Their eyes were red and puffy from crying. They sat down at the table and started to eat some breakfast.

"I'm surprised they came down here," Lee said to Harry.

"Yeah, me too," Harry said worriedly.

-x-

Beth and Hermione handled the situation very differently. Beth had transformed over-night; she was no longer feisty and loud. She wasn't paying attention in her classes, and her grades showed it. The teachers were starting to worry, but since they couldn't talk to her about anything else except for the class material, they couldn't do anything. It was obvious that Beth was struggling to keep her life together, and she wasn't taking care of herself. She hardly ate at meals, and the dark rings under her eyes showed that she wasn't sleeping either.

She was becoming so miserable that even the Slytherins pitied her, and they don't pity any one. Especially a Gryffindor.

Hermione, on the other hand, was drowning herself in her work. She was constantly in the library when she wasn't in class, and only left to go to meals and when Madame Pince kicked her out. Even though she was at the top of her game, the Gryffindors knew that she was having as hard of a time as Beth was.

-x-

Beth was walking down one of the corridors, when Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and another Slytherin named Theodore Nott walked in front of her. They all just stared at her, not saying anything at all.

"Um, can I help you with something?" Beth asked. _"What are they doing here? And most of all, they aren't saying anything,"_ Beth thought as she eyed each and every one of them.

"Umbridge would like to see you," Nott said.

Beth sighed. She pulled out her wand, and all of them tensed quickly.

"Relax; I'm just handing over my wand. I'm assuming that was what you were going to do, right?" Beth said as she gave her wand to Malfoy.

She started walking in the direction of Umbridge's office, but suddenly stopped. She turned around and saw them all staring at her.

"Aren't you supposed to escort me or something?" she asked.

"You mean you aren't going to put up a fight?" Malfoy asked.

Beth shook her head. That's when she realized why all of them were there. They thought she was going to put up a fight.

She smirked, "Did you really think that just another Slytherin would stop me?"

They all looked at her, frightened.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to fight you. Besides, I don't think Umbridge would appreciate that you all got whipped by some Gryffindor."

It looked like that Beth had got her life together.

-x-

Once we arrived at the Department of Mysteries, we realized that Sirius wasn't there, and we found this prophecy thing that had to do with Harry and Voldemort. Then those bloody Death Eaters showed up. It was all a trick. Bloody fantastic.

We weren't holding up too well, either. Hermione has been knocked out by some spell, Ron is acting strange and has a brain attached to him, and Ginny did something to her ankle. I _think_ Luna is helping Ginny, but I'm not exactly sure. Neville broke his nose, so anything he's been saying doesn't really make much sense. Oh yeah, and his wand snapped in half. Harry and I are the only ones that still haven't been completely taken down.

So now I was in this big room with an archway in the center of it. I was hexing people left and right, and trying not to get hit by any spells. This, by the way, is a great tactic. Then all of the sudden Dumbledore was there, followed by many members of the Order including Sirius.

"Wotcher Beth!" Tonks said as she made her way towards me.

"What about the others?" I asked.

"They'll be fine!" She said back to me.

We were almost towards the exit when I saw Sirius get hit by a spell in the chest. He fell back into the archway and disappeared.

"NO!!!" I screamed. I was now running towards the archway, except I was intercepted by Kingsley. He grabbed a hold of my arm and was now dragging me away from it. Suddenly, I felt something hit me in the back, and I fell to the floor.

_"Oh god, George. Why weren't you here?" _I thought. Then everything went black.

-x-

"Ginny, thank Merlin you're alright!" George said as he went and hugged his younger sister.

"You idiot!" Ginny yelled as she hit him in the back of the head.

"Ow! What was that for?!" he asked.

"For being a git," She said.

"Why am I a git?" he asked.

"For pulling that bloody stunt you did a few weeks ago!" she said.

George just looked at Ginny confused.

"When you were planning that, did you ever think of how that might affect your _girlfriend_?" she said pointedly.

He was silent for a while. "Sweet Merlin! I never thought," he said.

Ginny sighed. "Look, when she wakes up, don't bother her too much. She didn't take your escape to freedom as well as you thought she might."

George nodded. Now all he would have to do is wait.

-x-

_"GEORGE! NO!" I screamed as I ran towards him. He was lying on the floor, gasping for breath._

_"Beth," he said faintly._

_"It's going to be okay, George. You're going to be fine," I said as tears slid down my face. I grabbed his hand._

_"No, it's not going to be okay. I have something important to tell you, Beth. I lo-"his breathing stopped and his hand went limp in my hand._

_"NO!!!!!" I screamed._

I woke up from the nightmare crying. That's when I noticed that I wasn't in my dorm. I was actually in the Hospital Wing.

"How did I get here?" I mumbled to myself.

All of the memories came flooding back to me. The Ministry, Death Eaters, and Sirius. I shook my head to clear those thoughts; I didn't want to think about those at the moment.

I looked around me. Nobody was here.

How odd.

I looked at the chair nearest me and saw that there was a pile of clean clothes. I slowly got out of the bed, and quickly changed into them.

I was wearing a pair of navy blue basketball shorts and a Puddlemore United t-shirt. Then my favorite pair of flip-flops was there so I put them on as well. I also put my hair in a pony tail as I made my way out of my little bed area.

As I looked around, I noticed that no one was here. Even Madame Pomfrey. I looked at the clock. It was almost one in the afternoon. So I woke up almost in time for the end of lunch. I quickly made my exit and walked to the Great Hall.

-x-

I was at the doors of the Great Hall when I heard someone call my name. I stopped dead in my tracks, my whole body stiffening. I knew that voice. But he shouldn't be here.

"Beth?" I heard him say again. This time it was much closer. I narrowed my eyes and I turned around.

There he was, standing there right in front of me. I vaguely heard the doors of the Great Hall open. They always opened them ten minutes before the meal ended.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked me.

What was _wrong_? The first thing he says to me is 'what's wrong'?! So I smacked him. Hard.

"You are a git," I said. I was about to hit him again when his hand took a hold of mine to stop me.

"What did I do wrong?" he asked me. He looked really confused.

"EVERYTHING!!" I screamed as I pulled my hands out of his grasp.

He looked so pathetic standing there, but I wasn't finished yet.

"That stunt you pulled weeks ago! Do you know how MISERABLE I felt?!" I screamed. I was vaguely aware that everyone in the Great Hall were staring at us.

"While everything was going horribly wrong this year, I had you. You were there to help me get through all of the good and bad things. And then the only thing that was keeping my life together, what was getting me through this hell hole decided to fly away on a broom to freedom! Everything came crashing down on me!" I was still yelling and I could see regret in his eyes.

I'm not even finished yet. Yes, I'm making him feel guilty.

_Really_ guilty.

He took a step towards me and I took a step away from him.

"I've been hardly sleeping at night! I haven't had a proper meal in WEEKS! At first, the Slytherins were making fun of me, but then I became so miserable that they pitied me! SLYTHERINS NEVER PITY ANYONE!" I screamed.

"And when four of Umbridge's minions came to escort me to her office, I didn't even put up a fight! THIS NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF YOU HAD TOLD ME! DID YOU THINK THAT YOUR **GIRLFRIEND** WASN'T IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO BE TOLD?! YOU TOLD LEE, AND NOT ME?! HE'S YOUR BEST FRIEND, SO WHERE DOES YOUR GIRLFRIEND RANK?!" I screamed.

George touched my arm.

"Don't. Touch. Me." I said coldly. He let go of my arm as if it was scalding hot. Okay, so I was probably over-reacting, but I couldn't help it.

I had to get this out of my system.

"Even though you would sit next to me at meals, it was like you weren't even there. Even though I kept telling myself that you were planning something, there was always that little voice in the back of my head that kept asking 'what if he's ignoring me on purpose?' And when you left, I realized that I never had the chance to tell you," I trailed off. Tears were starting to well in my eyes.

"Tell me what?" George asked quietly, I could still see the hurt in his eyes. I felt a pang of guilt, but I quickly brushed it off.

"I'm in love with you, George," I said. I heard people gasp and that's when I realized that the entire school had just witnessed that. I quickly turned around, and ran towards the doors that led to the outdoor courtyard.

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**A/N: So, as I was editing this chapter, I realized that there's only one more left. So, there's only one more chapter left. As always, feedback is appreciated. **


	17. Chapter 17: THE END

**Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling. I'm just having some fun.  
The End is here!

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**_"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."  
-Winston Churchill

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_Chapter 17: Valiant Quest for Shoes & THE END

It's official.

I am a loser.

I just yelled my head off at my boyfriend and told him that I love him in front of the entire student body. Then I ran away.

Some Gryffindor I am.

All because I didn't want him to see me cry. Well, that's one reason. I ran away because I just made a huge ass of myself in front of the entire student body.

Anyways, I'm sitting in the bridge that leads to the grounds, trying to cover up the fact that I'm crying.

I was really hoping that I could wallow in my misery, but alas, it wasn't meant to be.

George sat down next to me, without saying a word. Right now I hated myself for making such a scene earlier.

I looked up at him, and instantly noticed the huge red mark that was on the side of his face.

"Oh, George," I said as I reached towards him. His face scrunched up, as if preparing for another attack, but once I gently laid my hand on his cheek, he visibly relaxed.

"I didn't mean to hit you that hard," tears were still sliding down my face.

He just shrugged and pulled me into his lap. As he wrapped his arms around my waist, I instantly felt safe and home again. I sighed contentedly.

"How long was I out for?" I asked him.

"Three days," he said speaking for the first time.

"Oh," was all I said. I couldn't really believe that I had been out of it for three days.

"I'm sorry," he said suddenly.

"For what?" I asked him, confused.

"I should have been there. Maybe if I was there, then you wouldn't have gotten hit," he said as he buried his face into my hair.

"It's not your fault, George. I really wasn't paying attention to what I was doing, so it was an accident waiting to happen," I said truthfully.

I just prayed to every single god out there that he wouldn't blame himself for me getting hurt. It was my fault completely.

We were silent for a while.

"Did you mean it?" he asked me.

"Mean what?" I asked him, having a hunch as to what he was referring to.

"That you're in love with me," he said quietly.

I repositioned myself so that I was now straddling him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and I looked him straight in the eyes.

"Yes," I said firmly.

He smiled at me.

"Good, because I love me too," he said impishly.

"George!" I said as I playfully pushed on his shoulder.

He started to laugh, "Don't worry I love you too."

Is it possible to die and come back to life?

Because I swear that's just what happened to me.

I gave him the biggest smile that I could give him.

He smiled back at me.

Okay so now, we're supposed to kiss.

He was just staring at me, a goofy grin plastered to his face.

He's still staring at me.

Ah, screw it. If he isn't going to kiss me, then I'll kiss him.

I knew at once, that I had caught him off guard. Once he realized that I was kissing him, he kissed me back. We broke apart only when the need for air was too hard to ignore.

I smiled and he smiled back. I vaguely realized we had been doing that a lot. Then he kissed me.

This kiss was full of passion and that something I couldn't recognize all those weeks ago. But now I could recognize it; it was love. Oh Merlin, how did I not recognize it before? I'm such an idiot. Once we pulled away, for some reason my feet felt oddly bare. I looked down at them and noticed I was barefoot.

"Um George, do you know where my flip-flops are?" I asked him.

He just looked at me oddly. "You mean the ones that you were wearing on your feet are suddenly no longer there?" he asked.

I nodded.

"How extraordinary," he said more to himself than to me.

I got up from my spot and stretched. As I looked up, I noticed that there was a pair of shoes dangling from the ceiling. They looked familiar to me...

"Are those Luna's shoes?" I said incredulously.

George came to stand next to me and pulled them down from the spot.

"I wonder how they got there," he mumbled.

I arched an eyebrow.

"On second thought, maybe I don't," he said as he looked back down at the shoes.

I laughed at him. He was so adorable at times.

"Well, Fair Maiden, I do believe we have some shoes to return," George said playfully.

"Yes, we do, oh valiant and courageous Master of Pranks," I said, although I internally winced at how lame that sounded.

"Valiant and Courageous Master of Pranks?" he asked me.

He looked amused; I think I just helped boost his ego.

Wonderful.

"Fair Maiden?" I said back, arching an eyebrow.

"Anyways my Fair Maiden, the journey will be treacherous," he said dramatically.

"Oh I think I can handle it, _Master of Pranks,_" I hopped onto his back, so he would carry me.

"ON WARD, MY FAITHFUL STEED!" I yelled. "WE HAVE SOME SHOES TO RETURN!"

I realized that we sure do know how to make an entrance as we entered the Great Hall, which was still full of students. So there I was, on George's back, barefoot, holding Luna's shoes.

What a pair we are.

I quickly looked for Luna.

"MY FAITHFUL STEED, I HAVE LOCATED THE LADY! ON TO RAVENCLAW TABLE!" I yelled.

Once we made it towards Luna, George placed me down, and turned to look at Luna.

"Our dearest Luna," he said as he bowed to her.

"We have traveled many lands and have slain many beasts," I said dramatically.

"Even though the journey was perilous, but we kept going," George added just as dramatically.

"We kept going, because we knew that you wouldn't rest until your beloved shoes were found."

"So now, we are here to present you, dearest Luna, your shoes," George said. I dramatically handed her the shoes, which she hesitantly took, and we both bowed to her again. George picked me back up, and we started to make our way back to the Gryffindor table. We both sat down at the table and acted as if everything was normal.

"Hi everyone," I said cheerfully.

They all looked at me as if I had grown a couple more heads. I just happily continued to eat my sandwich. I looked over at the Head Table and saw Dumbledore smiling broadly at George and I. I smiled back at him. I turned back to look at George who was staring at me. It looked like he was done eating.

"Are you done George?" I asked him.

He smiled at me, and helped me out of my chair.

"Why thank you, oh wonderful Master of Pranks," I said dramatically.

"No problem at all, Fair Maiden. I have a splendid idea!" he said.

"What would that be?" I asked. I had a feeling where this was going.

"We shall dance the day away!"

"Brilliant idea!"

So we danced out of the Great Hall again, and I swore I heard Ron say, "Whoa. That sounded really familiar…"

I laughed. It was good to be back.

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**A/N: So, this is the end of the re-edited version of Catch A Falling Witch. Be on the lookout for the Sequel, There's No Time Like War Time. I do believe that there will be several plot changes to that story, but we shall see. :D So, what do you think of the ending? Feedback is always appreciated.**


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